The Heir to a Dead Man's Empire I
by Owl and Crow
Summary: Do not read unless you have read Ten Years in Lost Memory. Harry had a feeling. It was just a feeling. But it was a damn strong feeling. And a relatively correct feeling, that something big was about to happen. This part complete
1. Chapter 1

"You know what they say? Lies are only friends you haven't met yet"  
- Sheen, Jimmy Neutron Boy Genius.

"Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber baron then under omnipotent moral busy bodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us with out end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience." – C.S. Lewis

A/N: If you haven't read all four parts of Ten Years in Lost Memory don't even try to read this. It won't make any sense at all. And guess what, I'm not going to explain it all again in this story. 

This is my Harry Potter Fan Fiction. This takes place in Harry's seventh year and will go to when ever I feel like ending it. It follows some of the story lines in the sixth book but all of them. Dumbledore is indeed dead in this (sorry to anyone who hasn't gotten that far) Ginny and Harry dated. But I refuse to not let Harry go back to Hogwarts it my story my way. And Bill isn't getting married. And hopefully you'll figure it out. This starts a little confusingly but all will be explained in later chapters. Worry not, oh elusive reader!

Heir to a Dead Man's Empire

Chapter One

Joshua Juarbe stared at the ceiling as the Queens Counsel took their seats; they all knew it would be their last meeting for a very long time. The Queen sat at the front of the circular table and addressed the group in the traditional Pagan tongue. 

'This is a sad day.' She said her husband sat quietly behind her, knowing his place. 'We will not be seeing each other for a very long time. The threat of Atu is gone for the moment, but I beg you not to be fooled. She will return when we least expect it. So be alert, and don't be fooled by subtleties. I want the Key to be well hidden, somewhere no Pagan would ever put such a precious thing, and I want that sword with the Dien King at all times. Understood?' The Counsel nodded their heads sadly. 'We are done now. Go, be at peace.' The Counsel left almost as soon as it had come. 

Harry did this thing sometimes. He would stay awake the whole night, do nothing but think and not be tired at all the next day. It had been happening very offend.

Harry had a feeling. It was just a feeling. But it was a damn strong feeling. And a relatively correct feeling, that something big was about to happen. And that that something big would set into action a course of events that would change Harry's life forever. 

Now, I say relatively correct because Harry thought that the something big would be Voldemort's doing. But the something big that would actually take place was much bigger then Voldemort and his insolent cronies could ever dish out. This something big would come out of someone small. Someone Harry was spending a lot more time thinking about. A lot more time then usually he did anyway.

So we find Harry sitting in bed with all the lights out, thinking. He had the sudden and unexpected urge for a pipe and some fine red wine. He could almost taste the smoke in his mouth and smell the rich deep red wine in his nose. He wanted it so much that he even considered looking for a spell to transfigure his quill into a pipe, his parchment into some tobacco, and his ink well into a glass of red wine.

Harry had never wanted such forbidden treasures in his life. He had a sudden flashback or instantaneous memory of sorts. He was being swung around in the air by a man, or what he thought was a man, with messy black hair and glasses. And he had a pipe in his mouth, by the chair the man had been sitting in there was a glass of red wine. The image was gone almost as soon as it had come. Harry could only assume that the man, or what he thought was a man, was his father, James. Perhaps he wanted the pipe and the wine to remember his father.

Harry had been having these strange flashbacks of his baby life with his parents a lot. In fact he was doing a lot of strange things recently. And his feeling was that doing these strange things was only feeding whatever big thing that was about to happen.

Actually, it was.

Harry was taking on his natural demeanor. The demeanor of Pagan Dien Royalty.

Sometimes he would mutter in a language he did not recognize.

Sometimes he would make the entire house shake because he thought about something hard enough.

Sometimes he would transfigure things just by waving his hand, no wand involved.

He started getting curious about these new abilities. He tried to do them on purpose. At first he could not. But then when would just do it he would try to do more. Like say an entire sentence in a language he did not understand. Or he would make things move or disappear while the ground shook. Or he would transfigure a teapot into a pan then turn it back.

Soon, over weeks of practice, he could do it all. He began to understand whatever language he was speaking. He could control the shaking and could make interesting things happen without the shaking. He could transfigure things a will. No words, no spells or wands involved.

Harry did not understand his new abilities. But they felt too naturally that he never thought to question them.

Truth be told as Harry began to believe himself an adult, the Pagan within him started to emerge and play along with what would happen to any other Pagan adult, naturally.

Harry looked at the book sitting at the edge of his bed. The world suddenly seemed daunting. Everyone seemed to bore Harry.

That is, everyone but Ginny.

He had been thinking about her a lot. He thought it meant nothing. Seeing as they had dated. He thought that he was just missing her. And he was. Badly.

It meant everything.

Though at that moment, all that mattered was the book at the end of Harry's bed.

It was leather bound, with a scribbley language that Harry had only recently learned to read. He reached to grab the book. But once he had it in his hands, he was no longer interested. He dropped it on the ground.

He picked up a piece of parchment and scribbled a note to Ron. He tied it to Hedwig's leg and sent her out the window.

He did not care about the Dursleys' rules anymore. In his mind, if they kicked him out he would be better off.

He looked back at his bed. The book lay by his bed like a tribute to some long forgotten god. He rolled his shoulders and sat back on the bed.

Nights like this were common for Harry. 

He would receive a note back from Ron in the morning. So, there was no point in waiting up.

But he was not tired. On nights like these, he was never tired. 


	2. Chapter 2

Count Dooku: That was brave, boy, but foolish. I would have thought you'd have learned your lesson. Anakin: I'm a slow learner.

Obi-Wan: Be mindful of your thoughts Anakin. They'll betray you.

Anakin: When I got to them we got into aggressive negotiations. Padme: Aggressive negotiations? What's that? Anakin: Ah well it's negotiations with a lightsaber.

A/N: I've been in a star wars-y mood lately, but I think that the quote fit. You'll just have to read and see……………DON'T READ THIS STORY IF YOU HAVEN'T READ TEN YEARS IN LOST MEMORY! THERE ARE SOME PLOT LINES AND TOTALLY AU THINGS IN THIS STORY THAT I'M SIMPLY NOT WILLING TO EXPLAIN AGAIN! IF YOU LIKE THIS STORY FEEL FREE TO READ THE PREQUEL, IT'LL EXPLAIN A LOT!

Chapter Two

Nothing is changeless. That's how Harry would explain himself. Remus was the only one of the two people he had told about his powers, who would not simply except Harry's answer for what it was. Remus questioned Harry deeply about his new found powers. Causing Harry to become increasingly more irritated with Remus.

Harry really did not want to think about what was happening to him. He wanted to ignore it and let it happen.

He told this to Remus hoping that it would stop his ceaseless questions.

"But why Harry? Why didn't you ever try not to hone your powers?" Remus asked.

"Because they feel natural, Damn it! They feel like I'm supposed to just have them. Supposed to use them, to play with them. My mind is telling me that they are okay. Why can't you just let it be?" Harry asked.

"Human's can't do half the things I've seen you do, Harry. That's why." Remus said.

"I'm better than humans. You should know that." Then Harry walked away. He showed a great example of a Pagan prejudice that he hardly knew he had.

----

An owl flew through Harry's bedroom window when he reached it. He took the letter it had brought and read it, bored. He wrote short response that revealed nothing and sent the bird away. He closed the window just to hear something pecking on it. He turned back, annoyed, until he saw the hawk on the other side of the window. It was that hawk that had brought the book the month before.

He opened it and the bird of prey flew in and perched on the headboard of Harry's bed. It had dropped a brown clothe bag filled with lumpy objects on his bed.

He opened the bag slowly, not sure if he really wanted to know what the bird had brought this time. There was a long wooden pipe, a bag of smoking tobacco, a carefully wrapped glass bottle of wine, and a stone drinking bowel.

Harry packed the tobacco into the pipe and poured the red wine into the bowel. He lit the pipe with his wand, and drew the smoke into his mouth, let it float around on his tongue and blew it out. He sipped the wine tasting every undertone and subtle flavor.

He did not question where the gifts came from. He knew that he would know if something was wrong with the things that the hawk brought.

He put the drinking bowel down and raised his hand for the hawk to land on it. He felt the weight of the bird, the claws in his flesh and the feathers against his fingers. He never glanced at it. He placed the bird on his shoulder and picked up the bowel again.

----

The bottle was empty, the tobacco smoked, and the hawk gone. He had the remnants of a few hours of pleasure lying on his bed. The marks of the birds talons left were long healed, and Harry never gave it a second thought.

He still stood by the window the hawk had flown out of only hours before. He was reflecting another characteristic of his Paganhood, when the door slammed open and in walked a very angry Vernon Dursleys. Harry just looked at him while he yelled about the birds flying in and out of Harry's room.

"I don't care." Harry said to the frustrated fat man.

"I don't care if you don't care! You won't do it anymore!" Vernon yelled at his nephew.

"And what will you do if I don't listen to you?" Harry asked. He held his head high in a dignified, proud and arrogant sort of way.

"I would kick you out! We made rules! You must follow them or suffer the consequences."

"You say that as if Petunia would ever let you kick me out." Harry said a matter-of-factly.

"I am the man of this house. I will make the rules. And I will decide who stays and who goes." Vernon said with the same certainty.

"If you insist I will leave." Harry said.

"JUST STOP!" Vernon yelled before stomping out of the room and slamming the door behind him.

"This needs to change." Harry said to himself. He looked at the book that still lay next to his bed. He concentrated on it and it flew into his hands. He opened it to a random page that in truth was not random at all. The page read:

'He will question the purple lump about what he intends to do if nothing were to change in the Lost One's behavior. The lump yells a leaves the Lost One's cage.

"Change, this must." He says to himself. Then he will summon this book and read from it. The passage he reads will surprise him but not scare him. He will close the book once he finishes the passage. Knowing that he is meant for much more than he will ever truly comprehend.'

Harry closed the book and dropped it on the ground. He got a flashback of a man, or what he thought was a man, dropping that exact same book on the coffee table of some extravagant house. The noise from the book smacking against the polished wood table top interrupting a couple of familiar faces cuddling with a couple of unfamiliar faces.

Then Harry was back in his room looking at the book on the floor. 


	3. Chapter 3

Padme: All mentors have a way of seeing more of our faults than we would like. It's the only way we grow

Anakin: Jedi business. Go back to your drinks.

Padme: To be angry is to be human. Anakin: I'm a Jedi. I can be better than this.

Anakin: You're asking me to be rational. I know that is something I cannot do.

A/N: Still in a Star Wars mood. And I like it!

Chapter Three

Harry pushed the book across the glossy table of the small tea shop towards Remus. Remus' eyes never left Harry's, though he did notice the book and remembered it. They stared at each other for awhile.

"Why does this book know exactly what I'm doing all the time?" Harry asked.

"It's a prophecy, Harry." Remus said.

"I know what it is. But it's about me, isn't it, Remus?" Harry asked.

"Where did you find this book?" Remus asked running his hand over the aged cover. Harry had another flashback, they were getting more frequent. Remus was running his hand over the cover the book. But he was younger, not as pale, he seemed more alive. There was a woman, or what Harry thought was a woman, with her arms wrapped around Remus' middle. Harry blinked and the image was gone. "Harry, are you alright?" 

"Yeah………… Have you ever been married?" Harry asked. Remus sat up a little straighter.

"I am married, Harry." Remus said.

"Well, where is she, why haven't I ever met her?" Harry demanded.

"She's in another world, Harry."

"Shit, I'm sorry, Remus, I didn't mean to bring up your wife. I'm sorry for your loss." Harry said apologetically.

"Oh, no, Harry, she's not dead. She is quite literally in another world, another dimension if that makes more sense." Remus explained.

"Ahh… Then why haven't met her?"

"She's not fond of this dimension. But she really wants to meet you. Especially after what happened to Sirius… but back to my question. Where did you find this book?"

"A hawk flew through my window and dropped it on my bed. I didn't open it until last night." Harry admitted.

"Why didn't open it until last night?"

"I don't know it just didn't feel right until then. So, I didn't open it until that moment."

"Do you think this book is about you, Harry?"

"Who else would it be about? It described a purple lump, who else has an uncle that turns purple when he's mad?" Harry asked.

"Good point." Remus said smiling over his tea cup.

"So, what does it mean?"

"Why don't you keep reading and find out?"

"That doesn't feel right."

"Would it feel right if I just told you?"

"I want to know."

"But would it feel right?"

"No." Harry admitted.

"Then why are you asking?" Remus asked.

"It's not right, but I want to know."

"Then the answer will come to you when you're ready."

"But you know?" Harry asked.

"Oh, yes."

"Should I be worried?"

"That wouldn't be a good idea."

----

"So, do you have any kids?" Harry asked as Remus walked him back to the Dursleys' house.

"I have three. One that's your age, he is named after me. One that is a year younger then you, her name is Nakita. And the youngest is about five years younger then you, his name is Joshua." Remus said. "But you should have asked Sirius about his kids."

"Sirius had children?" Harry asked in disbelief.

"And a very beautiful wife."

"So, how many did he have? Names? Ages? Spill, Lupin." Harry said smiling.

"He had five kids."

"Five!"

"The oldest is your age, named Sirius, fancy that. The second is a year younger then you, her name is Ophelia. The last three are triplets, about five years younger then you. Their names, as I recall, are Kiara, Pense, and Victoria." Remus said.

"Five kids, man, I'd really like to meet them, and your kids. And your wife and Sirius' wife. When do you think I can?" Harry asked, this sounded very interesting. Another dimension, one that was probably far more interesting then the one he was currently trapped in.

"Soon, Harry, far too soon actually."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Harry asked, confused by Remus' lack of enthusiasm.

"Nothing, for now." Remus checked his watch, and sighed. "I have to be off, Harry, I'll see you later."

----

Harry paced back and forth at the foot of his bed staring at that book.

"I bet you have this moment written somewhere in there. On some random page that isn't really random at all. What metaphor will you use for that, hmm? Something odd, hard to interpret. It always is, isn't it?" Harry asked to the book. "You show me is you're so damn great."

The book flipped open to the page that moment was documented on in the book. Harry leaned over and read:

'He walks at the end of his sleeping place. Talks to this book as he does so.

"This moment you are documenting, know it, I do. Random the page will be, but yet not so. Comparison you will use. Strange, it will be. As it always is." The Lost One says. "Show me, you will. If great your beaver dam is!" He demands.'

The book suddenly closed. Harry shook his head. He picked up the book and threw it across the room. He had another flashback, but this time it just voices.

'It isn't fair!' A woman yelled.

'I know it isn't fair, Lily, but-…' A man spoke quietly.

'But what? That's my son and I can't have in my arms because of that damn book!' The woman threw the book against the wall. 'Hold me, James.'

The noise faded, and as it did so did Harry's consciousness.

----

He was holding a limp red haired woman in his arms. Harry had no idea how he had gotten where ever he was. Or why he was holding the fainted woman. Suddenly he recognized the woman in his arms. It was Ginny. 'I've got to get her out of here.' Harry thought. He looked up from Ginny, and saw the most horrific thing he had ever witnessed. A great, bloody, muddy, battle taking place in a ruined field in a land that Harry did not know.

"Come on, Ginny. Just a little bit farther." Harry said. He spotted a mountain side to his left. He climbed up the side a couple of meters to get a safe distance between Ginny and the thousands of fighting dying warriors. He had to do something now. But he did not exactly know what it was he was supposed to do. He had never read that far in the book. 'Alright, I'll just have to feel this one out.' He thought. He held Ginny closer to his body and looked down at her torn clothes and bruised body. "Ginny, Ginny, look at me." Harry said. Her eyes opened and looked at him sadly.

"I can't do it, Harry. I don't know how." She whispered.

"Don't worry, my sweet, I don't know what I'm doing either." Harry said smiling at her. "Just do whatever feels right."

"Why should I?" Ginny's voice changed to a high light child-like voice, and her eyes turned from their usual brown to a light silvery color.

"Because I love you, and if we die here today, I'll never get the chance to prove that to you." Harry said he felt that he had no control over what he said anymore. The words were just coming out of his mouth.

"But the world-…"

"The world doesn't matter. All that matters is that love is worth fighting for, love is worth dying for. And if I die because of my love for you then I will at least die knowing that I lived a full life." Harry said.

"What if I mess it up?" Ginny's little voice asked.

"Nothing you could possibly do would make me stop loving you. But please Ginny, you have to do something now. You have to stop this war."

"Kiss me, Harry." Ginny asked. "One last time." Harry picked her head up and placed his lips firmly on hers. When they broke apart a pure white light speed out of Ginny and went straight up, then out over the entire battle.

And then Harry woke up. 


	4. Chapter 4

C-3PO: For a mechanic, you seem to do an incessant amount of thinking.

Count Dooku: Geonosians don't trust bounty hunters. Obi-Wan: Well, who can blame them?

Yoda: The dark side clouds everything. Impossible to see the future is.

Yoda: To the forward command center take me!

A/N: This chapter is a little longer then I've written in a while. I hope you like it.

Chapter Four

Minerva McGonagall walked into the Headmistresses office as she would any other time over the summer. But when she walked into her office this time, she got quite a shock.

Sitting behind her desk was the same messy haired Marauder she had been more then sure had died nearly sixteen years ago.

"Hello, Minerva." James said.

"James Potter!" McGonagall screeched as she stayed plastered against the wall afraid to move or even to take her eyes off the person in front of her. He was dead. There was no way that he could possibly be sitting in front of her. "Who are you!" McGonagall demanded there was no way that the person in front of her was James Potter.

"I can assure you, Minerva, that I am James. While I may not be James Potter, I'll admit that I spent quite a long time in this world pretending to be him. Which to be honest doesn't really mean anything right now." James said standing up and walking around the desk. He leaned on the front edge of it and stared at McGonagall.

"Now for a moment, let's say I believe you." McGonagall said cautiously.

"Oh, yes, let's play this game it sounds like fun." James said sarcastically.

"Oh my God you are, James Potter!" McGonagall yelled recognizing James in a way that only someone who had been on the receiving end of his sarcasm for seven years could. She walked towards James with her hands over her mouth; once she was in front of him she embraced him in a large hug. "Oh look at you, James, you look exactly the same."

"Never knew you liked me this much. Maybe it was those lines you always made me do." James said grinning.

"Oh, James, it is you!" She hugged him again.

"Well, who'd you expect it to be, Sirius?" James asked. "He always did a terrible impression of me."

"I must ask how you are alive." McGonagall asked pulling out of his embrace.

"I'm a Pagan, Minerva. You know that whole a Pagan can die numerous times." James explained, McGonagall nodded knowingly.

"You mentioned Mr. Black, don't tell me he's alive too."

"You don't sound too happy about the prospects of that eventuality." James said smiling again. "Damn! I really sounded smart in that last sentence. Guess it's just proof of how dashingly charming I am."

"James Potter you don't need to prove it's you anymore. I believe you."

"I can't help it! By the Gods I'm constantly telling Lily that. She never believes me." James said absently.

"Lily's alright too! This is the most marvelous thing I've heard in months." McGonagall said sitting behind her desk with her hand over her heart. "But I must ask, Black wasn't a Pagan, was he?"

"He was when he… copulated with Serena Nerone." James said picking his words carefully.

"His wife was a Pagan I remember now. Where has she been? More importantly where have you been?" McGonagall asked.

"We all have been in the Pagan world." James said. "Lily asked everyday if we could come back and get Harry, you know. But it's important that Voldemort think that we and more importantly Harry is human. I'd like very much to keep up that charade as long as possible."

"Why don't you want your son to know that his parents and godfather aren't actually human?" McGonagall asked, she was asking a lot of questions that day.

"Well, it doesn't really matter if Harry knows Sirius isn't dead. But not many people here know that I'm a Pagan. And the less Voldemort knows about who's a Pagan and who's not, the better. I already fear that he's got more Pagan allegiances then we would like. Oh I forgot, Minerva, I never told you about Atu. I told Dumbledore." James said.

"Yes, well, you'll just have to repeat yourself." McGonagall said shortly.

"Atu was the first opponent to bring the entire Pagan world to its knees by stealing the Key. You see, Minerva, the Key hold the universe together, with out it everything would cease to be. We managed to get the Key back by sheer luck. After the first war with Atu she cast herself in stone to escape execution. The Key was hidden. And here we are… Sixteen years ago she moved." James said.

"What do you mean 'moved'?" McGonagall asked.

"I mean she was sitting down and then she stood up. This is bad, Minerva, very bad. If she finds the Key again, it will self destruct to protect itself."

"Meaning the end of everything."

"It gets worse."

"How could it get worse?"

"She's gone."

"Atu's gone?"

"Not a stone left."

"I know this is troubling, James, but what can we do?" McGonagall asked.

"My son is destined to put an end to not only Voldemort but Atu as well. And that brings me to why I'm really here. We must discuss my son's protection. I'm giving you a choice, Minerva. Either hire a couple Pagan professors or I will remove my son from this world to be watched over by Pagans in the Pagan World." James said.

"Do you know of any Pagans that would be interested in a position at Hogwarts? As you well know Eric Juarbe resigned from his position after your death."

"I have four Pagans that would love to have influence over my son. You see, Minerva, he's going through some changes that are perfectly natural for a Pagan a third his age. He is only going through these changes because a Pagan Elder has provoked them. He'll start realizing that he's not like his peers, that they bore him, that his classes aren't challenging him at all, and that the magick you're asking him to do is easy. I really want him in an environment that says these changes are natural for any Pagan. I'm hoping he figures it out on his own. But if he doesn't someone will inform him." James said.

"What will these professors be teaching and should I make it mandatory to all students?" McGonagall asked. She understood James' want for his son to have Pagan influence and was willing to add a few classes to the students already packed schedules.

"The Elder I spoke of, Migdigus Koss, will come to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts. I hear you need a new teacher." James said, McGonagall nodded as she wrote down the names on a piece of parchment. "Serena Black will teach Wandless Magick. Jon Smeth will teach Physical Defense. And Joshua Juarbe will take up his fathers post as professor of Speciology. You need only make these classes mandatory to seventh year students. But by all means make them mandatory to all of the students." 

"Right then." McGonagall said finishing up the names. "Is that all you came for?"

"Sirius might come back. He's been thinking about doing that for awhile. But I don't think you realize that he never actually died. No, he didn't even get hit by the spell; my sister grabbed him and brought him back the Pagan world. My sister's a Changling mind you. He could always just say that never died." James smiled at McGonagall who smiled back. "This is not the last you'll be seeing of me, Minerva, I can tell you."

"I wouldn't dream of it, Potter." McGonagall said standing up and giving James a hug. "Be sure you bring Miss Evans next time."

"I daresay you seem happier knowing that she's alive that do about Sirius and I being alive. Not very nice, I think." James said smiling even more.

"I wonder why, goodbye, Mr. Potter."

"It's Juarez, McGonagall."

------

Charlie Weasley had this dream sometimes. A dream that made him feel like nothing else mattered but finding the woman in his dreams. She was everything he could possibly want. Long dark red hair, tall slender figure, a kind smile that could melt any man's heart. 

In the dreams she always called him Dag, and he always answered to Dag. The most usual dream he had went something like this:

He saw her. Her long hair was blowing in the wind as she stood in the waist high grass of the foreign field she stood in. Her hair looked like blood flowing through the wind in the night's darkness; Charlie would always think when he had this particular dream. Charlie approached her from behind, and let his presence be known by wrapping his arms around her middle.

She shrieked even though she knew it was him.

"Dag." She whispered turning in his embrace to kiss his lips softly.

"Oh, my darling." He whispered holding her closer. 

"My sweet, Dag." She said pulling him to the ground.

"What are we doing, my love?" He asked laughing at her eagerness.

"Hiding." She answered.

"Who are we hiding from?"

"Everyone, my love." She answered. He smiled and kissed her again. 

The dream would end shortly after that, with the memory of her sweet laughter in his ears, and the taste of her kisses still on his lips.

He would usually wake up most unwillingly. But today he woke up because of an owl pecking at his window. He let it in and read the letter in bore. Apparently he had to return to England. Dumbledore had died, and the Order wanted all of its members back in England for an urgent meeting to discuss new members and whatnot. Charlie wrote back then got dressed so he could leave. 


	5. Chapter 5

Loki:  
That poem, "The Walrus and the Carpenter," that's an indictment of organized religion. The Walrus, with his girth and his good nature, he obviously represents either Buda, or with his tusks, the Hindu elephant god Lord Ganesha. Now, that takes care of your Eastern religions. Now, the Carpenter, which is obviously a reference to Jesus Christ, who was raised a carpenter's son. He represents the Western religions. Now, in the poem, what do they do? What do they do? They dup all these oysters into following them, and then proceed to shuck and devour the helpless creatures en mass. Now, I don't know what that says to you, but to me it says that following these faiths, based on mythological figures insures the destruction of ones inner-being. Organized religion destroys who we are by inhibiting our actions, by inhibiting our decisions, out of, out of fear of some intangible parent figure that shakes a finger at us from thousands of years ago and says, "Do it…do it and I'll fuckin' spank you!"

A/N: Thank you's as of today:

Hayenrock(I'm pretty sure that's your penname, if it's not I'm sorry): thank you so much for reviewing, I didn't mean to sound too demanding in my review, but, if you couldn't tell form my review, I really loved your story. (And I love Hayden Cristensen too and Star Wars!)

Blacklady: You have been a faithful reviewer through Ten Years in Lost Memory to this story and I love the fact that you love my stories! It brings a smile to my face when I see that you've reviewed. (And just so you know I'd review your story back but I don't speak Spanish!)

Chapter Five

End of June

Harry sat with Ron and Hermione in Ron's room at the Burrow playing with whatever Fred and George had just invented. Harry was a little worried because Fred had handed it to him and then left the room as quickly as possible. Harry put the seemingly innocent ink well Fred had given him on the floor and kicked it across the room. Once it hit the opposite wall, it blew up spreading a pink slim everywhere. Hermione looked disgusted while Harry and Ron laughed. She pulled out her wand and made the slim vanish with a couple of mumbled words.

"So, Harry." She began. "How were the Dursleys?"

"Yeah, I hope they weren't too terrible, I mean you did stay nearly two months." Ron said.

"They weren't that bad. I ignored them, they ignored me. It worked out well enough." Harry said picking up the quill George handed to Hermione. He dropped it on the floor; it blew up and spread green slim all over the place. Harry and Ron laughed again and Hermione cleaned it up, again.

"Honestly, are you two only five years old?" She asked snatching the fake wand out of Ron's hand, that would probably blow up too if thrown on the ground.

"Maybe." Harry said smiling. Hermione grudgingly laughed at Harry's impersonation of a five year old as Ron wiped tears from his eyes he was laughing so hard. The door opened and Ginny stood in the door frame staring at Harry, who stared back with the same longing in his eyes as he saw in hers. 

"Dinner." Was all she said before running to her room.

"I don't see why you can't just be with her, Harry." Hermione said closing the door Ginny had left open.

"She's been sulking in her room all summer." Ron said. "In fact, I don't know why I still like you, Harry. You broke my sister's heart."

"Well, how do you think I feel? I didn't want to break up with her. What if Voldemort hurt her to get to me? I couldn't live with that. I care about her too much to be with her when Voldemort wants so badly to hurt me through anyone. I couldn't live with myself if he chose to hurt me through her. I just couldn't." Harry said.

"I know what you mean, Harry. But it looks like you're hurting more not being with her. You know what they say. 'It's better to have loved and lost, then to have never loved at all.'" Hermione said.

"She's got a point." Ron said. "That Hermione's a smart girl." Hermione blushed a little and looked away from Ron.

"I don't know. I don't want to hurt her, but I also don't want to hurt because someone else hurt her. You know?" Harry asked. He had gotten used to ignoring Ron and Hermione's subtle flirting, it was annoying if anything.

"It's about faith, Harry. You have to have faith that she can take care of herself." Hermione said, running her hand over the fake wand.

"And she can. Very able with the jinks that one is." Ron said.

"I have no doubt that she can take care of herself. I've seen her do it. She's impressive. But how many jinks will work on Voldemort?" Harry asked his two suddenly silent friends. "Look, I'll think about it how's that? It's the best I can do right now."

"As long as you actually think about it and talk to her maybe that will make you feel better." Hermione said.

"It'll definitely make her feel better." Ron agreed.

"If you insist." Harry conceded.

"We do." Ron said, hitting the fake wand out of Hermione's hands, causing it to explode and spread yellow slim all over the place, but mostly all over Hermione.

-----

Charlie appeared in front of the Burrow. No matter how much he enjoyed his job, and the places he got to go and see because of it, the Burrow would always be his favorite place in the world. 

He walked up to the door and knocked. The door opened and on the other side was Bill. The two brothers hugged each other.

"William Weasley!" Mrs. Weasley screeched from the kitchen. "You didn't ask him to identify himself." She scolded.

"If he was a Death Eater do you really think that he would have hugged me before killing me?" Bill asked.

"Honestly, Mum, if I was a Death Eater why wouldn't I just lie?" Charlie asked.

"It's a precaution! And the Death Eater might slip up, you don't know!" Molly said.

"I promise, I'll ask next time." Bill said turning away from his mother to his brother. "How've been doing?" He asked walking Charlie into the kitchen.

"Not bad. I've been having some trouble sleeping though." Charlie said.

"I have someone I want you to meet." Bill said as they sat down in the kitchen. "You know that one year I actually got to take Speciology class? I came back that summer telling everybody about it. You remember that?" Bill asked.

"Yeah, I remember that was before Dumbledore decided not have that class anymore." Charlie said.

"No one could possibly teach that class the way Juarbe did. He was a fabulous professor." Mrs. Weasley said.

"Well, anyway you remember what I told you about Pagan's and the Dien."

"Yes, Bill, I remember. Get on with it, who do you want me to meet?"

"The love of my life."

"William Weasley! You hardly know the girl." Molly said.

"I know her well enough to know that I am going to marry her." Bill said. "And she's hardly a girl. She's thousands of years older then you, Mum."

"Who is she?" Charlie asked.

"Her name is Cassandra Fantle, and she is the love of my life." Bill said.

"Brilliant, what's she like?"

"Long, dark red hair, she a little short but very curvy. And just beautiful. And she's the love of my life."

"Well, I'll admit you sound excited about her. When do I get to meet her?"

"She should be around here somewhere." Bill said.

"I'm here five minutes and already you've lost your girl." Charlie joked.

"Yeah, ha, ha, very funny. Mum, where'd she go?"

"She went upstairs to look for Ginny. Said something didn't feel right. Those Pagans are so hard to understand sometimes." Molly said.

------

In truth, Cassandra Fantle was in Ginny's room, rubbing the crying girls back supportively.

"Oh sweetie, what did he say? I'm sure he didn't mean it." Cassandra asked lying next to Ginny.

"That's just it, Cassie, he didn't say anything. He just looked at me like he wanted jump me, but he didn't move or say anything." Ginny sobbed.

"Ginny, darling, boys at his age are stupid. One day he'll grow up and realize just how dumb he was for dropping you." Cassandra said pushing Ginny's hair out of her face.

"But I want him to realize it now." Ginny said hugging Cassandra and crying some more.

"No one's perfect, Ginny, he made a mistake. He'll realize it some time. He's bound to."

"I don't care if he's not perfect. He's perfect for me."

"Oh, sweet heart." Cassandra said as the door opened. She looked up and shooed Bill and Charlie out.

"Why's Ginny crying?" Charlie asked as they stood outside her door.

"Her boyfriend dropped her." Bill said.

"Who is he? I'll pound him."

"You can't."

"Why not?"

"We need him."

"No, not Harry, now I can't pound him. Or maybe I could, just a little bit though."

"Charlie!"

"I was just kidding." Charlie said smiling innocently at his brother. 

Cassandra walked out of Ginny's room shortly after that. At first Charlie's heart stopped. The beauty in front of him could not be the woman from his dreams, could it? They looked alike, but there were certain things that were just too different. Their eyes for one thing. Charlie knew exactly what the dream woman's eyes looked like and they were nothing like the Dien's standing in front of him. And they were built differently. But something about Cassandra reminded Charlie about the dream woman. Maybe they were related.

"Cassandra, this is my brother, Charlie." Bill said introducing the two. "And Charlie, this is Cassandra." Charlie and Cassandra shook hands.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Charlie." Cassandra said smiling. That was it. They could not be the same person. Charlie knew the dream woman's smile and what he just saw was not it.

"The pleasures all mine, to be sure. But I was wondering if you happen to have a sister?" Charlie asked as though it were a joke. Bill and Cassandra laughed.

"That's my brother always thinking." Bill said punching Charlie lightly in the arm.

"I have four younger sisters. So, you'll have a choice." Cassandra said smiling.

"Dinner's ready!" Molly yelled from the kitchen.

"I guess we better go down stairs." Charlie said.

"You guys go a head, I'll get Ginny." Cassandra said going back into Ginny's room.

"Poor girl." Charlie said.

"It's just a pity we can't beat Harry for dropping her." Bill said.

"Yeah that is upsetting, isn't it?"

"But she does have one thing to be happy about."

"And what is that?"

"Soon she'll Cassandra as her older sister. I am going to marry that Dien. I swear it! She's perfect for me in every way imaginable." Charlie just smiled at his older brother. 


	6. Chapter 6

Lordly king with arrow in you breast, sing your last song to sky, to sea, and all the rest. – Brom

Chapter Six

"Hello, Ginny." Harry said standing uncertainly at the door to the room she was sharing with Hermione. Ginny turned towards Harry and had to try very hard to keep from crying again.

"Hey." Ginny said, and she struggled to say that much.

"I wanted to talk to you, for a bit." Harry said. "Can I come in?"

"Sure." Ginny said sitting on her bed. Harry walked in and closed the door.

"Look, I'm sorry. I just don't want you to get hurt because of me." Harry said sitting next to her.

"Well, you've done a great job of that." Ginny said. Harry grimaced, and took a deep breath. Being so close to Ginny he got a great whiff of flowers that warmed his very soul. The sent she gave off seemed to come from her pours naturally, as though no earthly flower could ever smell quite the way she did. 

"I miss you." Harry said leaning absentmindedly towards Ginny. "I miss talking to you. I miss the way you smell. I miss the way you kiss. Your smile, your laugh, everything about you. I could deny it when I was away from you. But with you here parading your perfection around in front of me, I'd be a fool not to want to touch you. To hold you. To keep you. To kiss you." Harry said before capturing her lips with his. Ginny wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed back with the same longing.

"Oh, Harry, I missed you too." She said once they broke a part. Harry just nodded before proceeding to snog her senseless. The couple lay back on Ginny's bed with Ginny comfortably beneath Harry.

"You smell like flowers." Harry said nuzzling his head into her neck. He wanted to be smothered in that smell for the rest of his life. He wanted to wake up every morning from that moment on to eternity to that intoxicating smell.

"You smell like smoke." Ginny said laughing a little. Harry's nuzzling was tickling her. In truth, Harry had been smoking a bit more tobacco then he probably should have been. The hawk had brought quite a lot on its last visit. He smoked every time he was alone.

"I do smoke." Harry admitted, sucking on Ginny's neck.

"What?" She asked pushing him off of her and giving him an accusatory took.

"Well, I needed some sort of compensation for your loss, didn't I?" Harry asked smiling. He grasped the hand she had put on his chest and kissed her finger tips lightly. She smiled and pulled him back on top of her.

------

Cassandra and Bill were sitting in his room on his bed, talking. That was it. Just talking. I mean Bill was the first one to admit that he was head over heals for the Pagan sitting in front of him, but if she did not kiss him soon he was going to flip.

"Cassie." Bill said patiently interrupting her.

"Yes, Billy." She said smiling playfully at him.

"I like you." He said scooting closer to her.

"I like you too, Billy." She said, blushing as he touched her knee.

"Then why haven't you kissed me yet." Bill asked tilting his head to the side. His lips were mere centimeters from hers and he longed to close the space.

"Well, you've never tried before, how do you know that I wouldn't have let you?" Cassandra asked before pressing her plump lips against his thin ones. She broke the kiss and leaned back against the head board of Bill's bed, smiling at him. "There. How was that?"

"Oh no, you're not getting off that easily." Bill growled climbing up his bed to plant his lips on hers once again.

"Hey," Charlie said from the door, "if you two could possibly stop groping each other for five seconds, were meeting a couple of Pagans in the living room. It'd be great if you two would come." Charlie said sarcastically.

"We'll be down in a minute." Bill said turning back to his girl, who was giving him a very easily read look. "Or we'll be coming down now."

"I tried Ginny's door." Charlie said to Cassandra in the hall way. "But she's not answering and she's put some charm on it. I can't get it open. Not even with my wand." Charlie added closing his brother's mouth before the obvious came out of it.

"Well, I'll give it a try. You guys go down stairs this might take awhile." Cassandra said. Bill gave her a kiss on the cheek because that was all she would let him kiss, and then he and Charlie went down stairs. She waved her hand in front of the doorknob, the lock click open, and she pushed the door open slowly. The door had been locked with Pagan magick. Only a practiced Pagan could have managed to lock the door with that particular charm.

As Cassandra looked into Ginny's room she saw what she expected to see. Two teenagers snogging like mad on Ginny's bed. Cassandra cleared her throat, and closed the door firmly behind her. Harry and Ginny looked up at her.

"You can't tell anyone, Cassie!" Ginny said immediately.

"Please don't, if we keep it a secret, then we can be together and Voldemort will never know." Harry pleaded.

"I won't tell a soul. But if can give my opinion, lovers can never truly hide their love. Someone you don't want to will find out. And if you're not careful, that will have disastrous effects. Now straighten your clothes, and get your horny little bums down stairs."

------

"You got any queens?" Remus Lupin junior asked Sirius Black junior, who was currently sitting across the dining room table from him in the Burrow. Sirius looked at his cards.

"Fish." He said. Nakita looked strangely at him.

"It's 'go fish' not 'fish', Sirius." She said.

"The 'go' isn't necessary, my dear deary lovely snuddle-poo." Sirius said making a kissy face at his girlfriend.

"Snuddle-poo, you make me sick." Nakita said, turning back to her cards.

"You get weirder and weirder everyday." Remus said.

"I do not, I was born perfectly weird and that is as weird as I'll ever get." Sirius said.

"That was really weird, you ass fucking shit-head." Victoria Black said from the end of the table. She had long black hair and merlot eyes like her mother.

"Oh, that's rich coming from the girl that snogs other girls." Sirius said turning away from his sister.

"Fuck off, Sirius, there's nothing wrong Vicky's preferences." Kiara Black said. She had curly black and grey eyes like her father.

"Yeah, sure." Pense Black snarled. He had shiny black hair and blue eyes.

"Hey! I am the oldest Black here. And I want you all to shut the fuck up, so I can play fish with my friends." Sirius said. "Naketah, do you have any queens?"

"First of all, it's Nakita, not Naketah. Naketah means 'pretty eyes.' Nakita means 'intelligent one.' Get it right, moron. And two, Remus just asked you for your queens and you said 'go fish,' which means you're cheating." Nakita said.

"Oh, no, darling, I said 'fish.'" Sirius said smiling.

"Why do I like you!" Nakita demanded.

"Because I'm adorable." Sirius said trying his best to be as cute as possible.

"Because you're an insufferable twit." Victoria spat.

"That's enough out of you." Ophelia said pointing her nail file at Victoria. She looked exactly like her mother. "Sirius can be very nice when he's not being violently stupid."

"Thank you, Ophelia. That means a lot coming from you." Sirius said.

"You are very welcome. And just so you know, out of all of our siblings, you're the only one I like." 

"I feel the same about you, Ophy." Sirius said smiling fondly at his sister.

"Don't call me Ophy."

"I think it's safe to say I like both of my siblings." Joshua Lupin said he had light brown hair, brown eyes and a grey tail.

"We like you too, Josh." Remus said, Nakita nodded. Remus Lupin senior cleared his throat, getting the attention of the teenagers in the kitchen.

"Get into the living room, and no more swearing in front of your host." He said. 

"Oh poo, I was winning." Sirius said throwing down his cards.

"Because you were cheating." Nakita said walking with him into the living room.

"Same diff." Sirius said.

"What is your problem?" She asked sitting down next to him.

"To each his own." Sirius said looking at Harry, who was sitting on the coach with Ron and Hermione.

"That doesn't make any sense." Nakita said.

"I know, I know." Sirius said nodding putting an arm around her shoulder. "So why are we here?" Sirius asked, Remus senior.

"We're here to meet Harry." Lupin said.

"Excuse me? Did you just call me hairy? I am not hairy; I shaved this morning, thank you." Sirius said. Nakita shook her head.

"He didn't say hairy. He said Harry, as in the name Harry." Nakita said pointing at Harry. Sirius looked back at Harry, who waved while trying not to laugh.

"You really shouldn't go by Harry." Sirius said waving back. "It's just asking for someone to get confused."

"Actually that's the first time anyone has made that particular confusion." Harry admitted.

"Sure." Sirius said in disbelief.

"So, Harry, can you tell which are mine and which are Sirius'?" Remus asked.

"Well, you are definitely Sirius' son." Harry said indicating Sirius.

"Shocking, wonder how he figured that one out." Sirius said.

"You look just like him." Harry said.

"Yeah, and you look just like your father, but I didn't go and point out the fact that you're his son." 

"You are ridiculous." Hermione said staring at Sirius with disbelief.

"And your hairs puffy." Sirius pointed out. Nakita hit him with a pillow.

"You shut up now or else." She said, Sirius gulped.

"Harry, this is my daughter, Nakita." Remus sr. said, pointing to Nakita.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Harry." She said. "This is my moron of a boyfriend, Sirius Black junior." Nakita said pocking Sirius in the side.

"We've met." Harry said.

"These are my son's Remus and Joshua." Remus sr. indicated the two boys standing next to him. "These are Sirius' daughters Ophelia, Kiara, and Victoria." He said pointing to each in turn. They waved at Harry, who waved back. "And Sirius' sons Sirius, who you've met, and Pense, who you haven't." Pense waved and Sirius sulked. "And these are our host's the Weasley's." Remus said.

"I think he already knows them, Mr. Lupin." Sirius said. Mr. Weasley, Bill, Charlie, Fred, George, Ron, Harry, Cassandra and Ginny laughed, while Hermione looked at Sirius like he had grown a new head and Mrs. Weasley rolled her eyes. All of Sirius' siblings sighed, they were used to this. Nakita, who had been dating him for nearly two years and would never get over how stupid he was sometimes, rubbed her eyes and gritted her teeth, Remus sr. rubbed his temples he thought he was going to get a head ache, and Remus jr. just shook his head, while Joshua found it all rather funny.

"He wasn't introducing the Weasley's to Harry. He was introducing them to us." Nakita explained slowly.

"Oh, well that makes sense." Sirius said.

"It's shocking that anything in your brain does." Victoria mumbled.

"You know you really shouldn't mumble because I can't understand you." Sirius said. Victoria just scoffed at him. 


	7. Chapter 7

Andrew: You know that point in your life when you realize that the house that you grew up in isn't really your home anymore? All of the sudden even though you have some place where you can put your stuff that idea of home is gone. Sam: I still feel at home in my house. Andrew: You'll see when you move out it just sort of happens one day one day and it's just gone. And you can never get it back. It's like you get homesick for a place that doesn't exist. I mean it's like this rite of passage, you know. You won't have this feeling again until you create a new idea of home for yourself, you know, for your kids, for the family you start, it's like a cycle or something. I miss the idea of it. Maybe that's all family really is. A group of people who miss the same imaginary place. —From Garden State

Chapter Seven

"Are we staying here?" Ophelia asked after dinner, which she did not touch any of.

"No, Ophelia, you guys are going home." Remus sr. said.

"Do I have to? I want to stay." Sirius said. "They think I'm funny, it makes me feel special."

"You are special." Nakita said.

"Please, Naketah, not in front your dad." Sirius said blushing and eyeing Remus sr. warily. Nakita shook her head.

"Of course you can stay, dear." Mrs. Weasley said.

"Yahoo! Come on Remus stay with me!" Sirius said to Remus.

"If it's alright with my host and my dad." Remus jr. said.

"You can stay too." Mrs. Weasley said.

"Sure, why not?" Remus sr. said.

"You can all stay if you like." Mrs. Weasley said ignoring the look of horror on her husbands face. Sirius jr. looked thrilled but the rest of Sirius' kids looked like they would rather be at home.

"I'll stay." Nakita said. "Keep my stupid boyfriend from breaking everything in your house."

With that said and dinner finished four Blacks and two Lupin's walked through the Mists back to the Pagan land. Remus sr. went with the kids to make sure they got back safely.

"Can I sleep on the floor?" Sirius asked jumping up and down excitedly.

"I think you'll have to." Mr. Weasley said.

"Nonsense, you and Remus will sleep in Fred and George's room and Nakita will sleep in Ginny and Hermione's room." Mrs. Weasley said. Bill and Charlie had their own rooms and Cassandra did not sleep so the arrangements worked out perfectly.

"Nakita can sleep with me." Sirius said smiling.

"No, no and no. You are not having sex with my sister while I'm in the house." Remus said.

"Why not? We've done it before." Sirius said right before Remus tackled him. Cassandra walked up to the boys and pulled them apart without much difficulty.

"Those sleeping arrangements will do fine, Molly." Cassandra said caring the now yelping wolf Remus into the house.

"Maybe I should have held my tongue on that last comment." Sirius said.

"Yeah, maybe." Nakita said, hitting Sirius in the back of the head.

------

"So, I assume you'd like a bed, Nakita." Mrs. Weasley said with her wand out.

"Well, actually, I'd much prefer just a big pillow. You see I don't sleep in this form." Nakita explained.

"Oh my, it's been so long sense Juarbe's class. I forgot, I'm sorry dear."

"It's quite alright. A lot of Pagans think that I sleep in this form. The very fact that knew otherwise is surprising to say the least." Nakita said smiling. Molly waved her wand and a large pink pillow appeared in the corner of Ginny and Hermione's room.

"Thank you." Nakita said sitting down on it.

"Now you girls don't stay up too late." Molly said leaving the room. Ginny and Hermione looked at Nakita smiling.

"So, tell us what it's like." Hermione said. Nakita looked up at them.

"Being a Pagan?" Nakita asked. Ginny and Hermione nodded. "It's easy, I guess. I don't have to worry about dying, or growing old. I have forever. I guess when I think about what it would be like to be human, being a Pagan is a huge comfort. I don't know how else to explain it."

"I'd imagine, how could you know what it's like to be human when you've only ever been Pagan." Ginny said.

"Forever can be daunting sometimes though." Nakita said.

"How?" Hermione asked.

"Forever is a long time to be alive. Most Pagans don't survive it." Nakita said, the confused looks Ginny and Hermione's faces told her she needed to explain. "To survive eternity you need to be able to change, some people can't do that. Pagans aren't perfect though most would like to think they are. I mean, Pagans can die of they choose to."

"Why would anyone choose to die?" Ginny asked.

"To save someone, duty, sadness, and I'm sure there are plenty of other reasons someone would want to die."

-----

"I want to die!" Sirius wailed throwing himself down on Harry's bed. He had just walked into Harry and Ron's room and started screaming about stupid things.

"Could you do it elsewhere, I'd like to sleep on that bed." Harry said. Ron snorted.

"Don't you care why?" Sirius whined making a pouty face at Harry.

"Fine, why?" Harry asked.

"I haven't been able to feel my girl all day, and I want to die!" Sirius wailed.

"I think you'll live." Ron said sitting on his bed.

"Yes, but I don't want to. Don't you see? My hands might fall off if they don't touch that glorious bum soon." Sirius said showing Ron his hands.

"Well, would you really miss your hands that much?" Harry asked. Sirius seemed to contemplate this for a moment.

"Whether I'd miss them or not is not the point. The point is that I'd really rather not have them fall off." 

"I can see your point." Ron said, smiling at Harry, who smiled back. 

Harry felt an odd connection with the fearfully stupid Pagan sitting in front of him. A kinship that he had felt with Sirius sr. something that just could not be explained and had little to do with the fact that Sirius was godfather. Something about Sirius felt familiar. 

The truth was Sirius was terrible at hiding the fact that he was Pagan, like his son who was also terrible at it as well. While Remus was very good at hiding the fact that he was Pagan. He had forced himself to age; to look older the he would have otherwise. As he had hoped, Harry had not figured out yet that Remus was a Pagan and that Sirius was as well. Harry was too preoccupied by the Pagan laying on his bed.

"You don't get it, Ron." Sirius said. "You've never touched her perfect ass." Sirius let out a cry of frustration.

"What's he whining about now?" Remus jr. asked coming into the room.

"Your sister's bum." Harry said. Remus grimaced.

"Fucking twit, you were groping her after dinner." Remus said kicking Sirius' legs which were hanging off the side of the bed.

"But that was hours ago!" Sirius exclaimed. "Naketah! Naketah! I love your little rump!" Sirius yelled out the door. Ron grabbed him by the back of the shirt, threw him back into the room and slammed the door shut.

"Don't scream 'rump' down the halls of my house, please, my mum will flip." Ron said.

"You could have just as easily said that while I was screaming it." Sirius said.

"Yes, but would you have listened?" Remus asked.

"Why does everyone around me mumble, I can't hear you." 


	8. Chapter 8

The vampire seemed very happy to meet me. I had to admit the pleasure was all his. – Brom

It spoke to me of riches, it spoke to me of simple murder, of madness. It spoke to me of deeds both vile and depraved. I listened, God, how I listened. – Brom

Chapter Eight

The school letter's came over the next week. Hermione opened her letter and let out a shriek.

"Hermione, are you alright!" Ron asked urgently. She thrust her badge into his hands and continued to shriek and jump up and down. "You're Head Girl." Ron said, as though it were obvious. "Harry, she's Head Girl." Ron said turing from Harry to Hermione, "I don't get what you're so surprised about; the position was bloody made for you. Right, Harry."

Ron turned to Harry, who was not moving just staring at his letter and the badge in his hand.

"Oh, this is brilliant, Harry. We can work together!" Hermione shrieked throwing her arms around Harry's neck. Harry pushed her away.

"What the bloody hell was he thinking?" Harry asked.

"Harold James Potter that is no way to act. I'm sure McGonagall chose you for a number of good reasons." Mrs. Weasley said, while stirring something.

"No, she chose me because Dumbledore would have chosen me. She wrote it in the letter. What the hell was he thinking? I have enough on my plate without being Head Boy." Harry said crossly.

"Look, hairy," Sirius said ruffling his hair, "I'm sure that Dumbley-door had faith you'd be able to handle it. He always had faith in your dad." All the Pagans stopped dead when Sirius said that. Harry looked curiously at Sirius.

"What you mean? When have you met my dad or Dumbledore, for that matter?" Harry asked. Sirius opened and closed his mouth a few times. None of the other Pagans could think of anything.

"My dad told me." Sirius said a bit too loud. "He said Dumbledore liked your dad for the job but thought Remus would do better at it. Seeing as your parents had a rocky relationship, to say the least." Sirius smiled hoping his lie worked.

"Yeah, yeah that's it. I remember that story; your dad was talking about it over dinner, when I came to visit. I was curious about Sirius' father's friends and he told me. But it's really nothing Sirius should have brought up." Nakita said staring a hole into Sirius, who laughed a little. Harry nodded not really believing them, but he was not going to press them at the moment.

"I don't really care. I don't want it. Hell, I don't really want to be Quidditch Captain anymore. It's too much pressure." Harry said. Everyone in the kitchen was quietly staring at Harry.

"Everyone expects you to save the world and no one ever thought that maybe little Harry wouldn't want to do it." Nakita said finally breaking the silence.

"Not every decision I make is about that." Harry said, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"Oh, really."

"I've got to go…… Think." Harry said before leaving the kitchen.

"Was it something I said?" Sirius asked looking around, everyone ignored him.

-----

Harry walked into Ginny's room; she looked up at him from her school letter. He slammed the door and locked it.

"Harry, are you okay?" Ginny asked noticing the angry expression on his face. He sat next to her on her bed.

"No." He said before he grabbed her face and kissed her. He threw her letter across the room and lay on top of her. She pushed him off of her and looked concerned at him.

"Harry, tell me what's wrong." Ginny demanded. Harry sighed.

"Everything is wrong, Ginny. Just let me snog you and get over it." Harry said.

"I don't think that's a good idea, Harry."

"Why not?" Harry asked rolling off of her.

"You're holding in your feelings and that isn't healthy." Ginny said.

"How is it not healthy?"

"If you hold back angry feelings you could have a heart attack."

"Says who?" Harry asked looking at her suspiciously.

"I read it somewhere. Tell me what's wrong and we'll work it out in a sensible way." Ginny said sitting up.

"But I like my way better."

"But I don't care, now talk to me."

"Everyone wants so much from me, Ginny!" Harry said he got off her bed and began pacing. "What if I can't do it? What if I won't do it?"

"But you will do it and you can do it." Ginny said knowing instinctively what he was talking about.

"How do you know? What if I change my mind?" Harry asked, he stopped pacing and just looked at her.

"You'll do it. I know you will. You'll do it because there is too much good in your heart not to do it." Ginny stood up and put her hand over Harry's heart. "You can love. And there is nothing more powerful or more meaningful or better in the world then the ability to do that. Just love, Harry, the rest will come to you in time." She gave him a small peak on the lips, and then led him back to her bed.

"When did you get so smart?" Harry asked.

"I have always been this smart, you just never noticed." Ginny said pulling him down on top of her.

"Mhhmff." Harry said as Ginny kissed him.

----

Charlie sat down in the living room and glanced over at Cassandra who was knitting. She looked up at him and caught his eye.

"Is there anything I can do for you, Charlie?" She asked. He thought a moment; she was thousands of years old maybe she could help.

"I don't know if Bill told you but I've been having some trouble sleeping." Charlie said.

"He did, and then I told him that I don't have that problem." She said smiling.

"It's not trouble getting to sleep, you know, it's these dreams I've been having." Charlie said.

"Tell me about them; one can't get to my age without learning a thing or two about dreams." Cassandra said as she continued to knit.

"Well, the one I have all the time is of me and this red haired woman. She's a little taller them you. Longer hair, different eyes. She's standing in the middle of some field and I walk up behind her, wrap my arms around her and then she calls me 'Dag.' We kiss and she pulls me on the ground. I ask her what we're doing. She says we're hiding, I ask her from whom and she says 'everyone.' Then I wake up." Charlie said.

"Do you have any other dreams about this woman?" Cassandra asked.

"Yeah, we've been making love in a few." Charlie said blushing. "What's weird about the dreams that when I kiss her in one in the morning I can still taste her in my mouth and I can still smell her in the air. There's another one were she's sleeping in what looks to me to be a coffin. But they usually don't bother me as much as the one I had last night."

"What dream did you have last night?" Cassandra asked her knitting lay forgotten on her lap.

"We were making love again, and then we went to sleep or something like sleep, it felt weird. Suddenly I was being pulled from our bed, I was screaming, she was chained to the wall. Then someone stuck a needle in my neck, they started torturing me. They brought in a little red haired girl, they pulled up her skirt, and I woke up. I didn't want to see what they were going to her." Charlie said. Cassandra stared at Charlie for a moment, and then started to breath again.

"I don't think these are dreams you're seeing, Charlie." She said, picking up her knitting again.

"Then what are they?" Charlie asked leaning towards her.

"I think they're memories. Memories can leave smells and tastes. You can feel pain when your reliving a memory in some else's body, which I think you are." Cassandra said.

"Well, whose memories do you think they are?" Charlie asked.

"My sister used to call her husband Dag. She had a daughter with red hair, the poor girl couldn't have been older then sixteen when she died………that last dream you had was how her husband and daughter were killed. And how she was turned into a vampire." Cassandra said.

"You're saying that I'm having dreams about a vampire?" Charlie said raising his eyebrows and sitting back on the coach.

"Pagan vampires are very different from human vampires. Pagan vampires retain all of the qualities they had in life; the only difference is that now all the drink is blood. My sister isn't cold hearted, my sister isn't dead, and my sister can certainly walk around in daylight." Cassandra said a little affronted by Charlie's reaction to her sister's currant state of being.

"Where is she? I have to meet her." Charlie asked.

"She's been sleeping for the last two, maybe three thousand years. Couldn't take the fact that her Dag and her daughter were dead, I guess."

"Well, what should I do?"

"For now, just tell me if anything in the dreams change, or if you have a new dream. This must mean something; I just don't know what it is."

------

As Charlie slept that night he had a dream, of course. The red haired woman that Charlie now knew was a vampire, was laying in a midnight blue silk lined metal coffin. 

Her eyes were closed and her rosy red lips lay in a still. Her skin was white and on her nose were a few brown freckles. Her hair was to her hips and her delicate thin white arms lay on top of her silky copper hair. Her wrists were adorned with golden bracelets that encompassed her entire hand and all of her fingers like claws. 

She wore a gold metal top that seemed to be welded to her breasts. The front of her skirt was merely a thin sheet of white silk and the back a wider sheet of the same silk. Her bare feet were decorated with the same gold jewelry that adorned her hands.

Charlie did not know how many times he had let his eyes wonder over her sleeping body. She was perfect. Untouched by the ages she had slept. 

Charlie's eyes moved back to her face. Her eyes were squinting. He could have sworn they had not been doing that before. She was breathing very fast too. Charlie could not remember if she had even been breathing before. Her feet began to move. And her hands began to clench the silk of her skirt. The knee of her right leg went up and hit the top of the coffin. There was a thudding noise. She immediately stopped moving.

Her eyes slowly opened. Charlie tried to think back. To think if he had ever really looked at the beauty of her eyes. They were a fierce violet around the pupil and that was encircled by a dark turquoise. Charlie stared dumbfounded into her eyes, and he could not help but think that she was staring back into his eyes. Her gold covered hands reached towards him.

"Dag." She whispered. 

And then Charlie sat straight up in his bed.

"Good you're awake," Bill said from the door to Charlie's room, "Mum's made breakfast. So get your ass down stairs." 


	9. Chapter 9

Miles: This weekend is not about me. It is about you. I'm gonna show you a good time. We're gonna drink a lot of good wine. We're gonna play some golf. We're gonna eat some great food and enjoy the scenery and we are going to send you off in style, mon frere. Jack: And get your bone smooched.

Jack: Are you still seeing that shrink? Miles Raymond: I saw him on Monday. I spent most of the time helping him with his computer. Jack: Well, I say, fuck therapy. And what is that stuff you take... Xanax? Miles Raymond: And Lexapro, yes. Jack: Well, I say, fuck that too. You need to get your joint worked on, Miles.—from the movie Sideways.

A/N: I know that the quotes are a little inappropriate, but I feel that they apply and if you read you will see why. For one of my favorite reviewers Blacklady, I'd just like to say that you can translate this story and Ten Years in Lost Memory into Spanish if you wish! And thank you to every one who reviewed, sorry that it took so long to update, I've had like a million projects to do and as most of you know, I'm lazy……so.

Disclaimer: Anything that J.K. wrote isn't mine, but the rest is, so hands off!

Chapter Nine

August

Cassandra climbed out of the window in Ron's attic bed room. She stood on the window sill and pushed herself onto the roof. She looked to her right then her left and saw Harry sitting on the edge of the roof with a pipe in his mouth and a closed book on his lap. Cassandra walked over to him and sat down next to him.

"What are you reading?" Cassandra asked, knowing full well what he was reading.

"It's a book of prophecies. I think it's about me, but I haven't gotten that far. I just spent last night reading about a childhood that resembled mine very accurately, actually. This book's weird." Harry said taking the pipe out of his mouth.

"Why is it weird? There are plenty of prophecy books in the Pagan world." Cassandra said.

"Well, the analogies that it uses are hard to interpret. Like I get some of them but not all of them by a long shot." Harry said.

"Well, why don't you think about them some more and have breakfast before you go to King's Cross. Molly nearly lost her mind when you weren't in bed. I'm sure that she's still freaking, you need to be more careful of daybreak if you're going to do this. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with it. I'm just saying that in the future be more mindful of dawn." Cassandra said.

"Yeah alright." Harry said.

------

Harry had indeed deciphered a few of the book's analogies for the people in his life.

Dudley was the quivering lump. Uncle Vernon was the purple lump. And Aunt Petunia was the horse human.

Ron was flaming hair. Hermione was ginger cookie. And the Weasley family as a whole was the fire.

But the thing that Harry found strangest was how the book referred to a Key all the time. He could not figure out who the Key was. It did not make sense.

Harry spent most of the train ride thinking about it. The book took up most of his thinking time. But never once did he think that he should tell either Ron or Hermione about the book. If he was going to tell anyone he wanted to tell Ginny.

But before he told anyone he wanted to figure out who the Key was.

"Harry!" Hermione yelled at him. He looked up. "We have to go talk to the Prefects, Harry." He nodded and followed her out of the compartment they were sitting in.

Harry let Hermione do all of the talking during the meeting. He just sat there and looked at Ginny. He made it look casual so that he would not get Ron's attention who was sitting right next to her. But Ron looked pretty preoccupied with staring at Hermione. Suddenly all Harry wanted to do was stare at Ginny. Just watch Ginny. Just make sure that she's okay. He wanted to do that forever. He wanted it so badly that he made himself look away. The need subsided and he took a deep breath and looked at his hands.

"Harry, are you feeling alright?" Ginny asked. Harry looked up and the compartment was empty. "Everyone left. I noticed that you weren't moving so I waited. So, tell me how you are?" Ginny said sitting next to him.

"I'm fine, Ginny." Harry said putting his arm around her.

"Oh really?" Ginny said giving him a hard look.

"I'm just confused about some things. And I need to work it out on my own." Harry said patting her leg. Ginny blushed when he left his hand on her leg. She nodded, wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. They broke apart and the compartment door opened. Harry pushed Ginny into the corner as Hermione walked in and sat between them.

"Where were you?" She asked Harry. She did not look happy.

"I was here." Harry said. "Are you okay, Hermione?"

"It's Ronald. He's just being so stupid, again." Hermione said.

"What'd that moron do?" Ginny asked putting an arm around Hermione's shoulders.

"We went back to the compartment and I noticed that you weren't there Harry. So I asked where you went to. Then Ron just flipped. He started yelling about how I fancy every boy in Hogwarts! That I must have been in love you since the moment I saw the scar on your forehead. I said he was being unreasonable. But no the Almighty Ron is never wrong." Hermione fumed.

"I'll go talk to the Almighty Ron." Harry said suppressing a laugh as he left the compartment.

"Harry, where have you been?" Ron yelled at Harry as he opened the door. "You should have heard what Hermione said about you." Harry sat down as Ron paced back and forth in front of him.

"What did she say?" Harry asked.

"She just keep going on and on about you. It was sick." Ron said.

"She just asked where I was, Ron. It's nothing big." Harry said stretching out on the bench.

"Oh, so you've talked to her? That's what took you so long, was it? You were chatting with Hermione?" Ron asked. 'No, Ron, I was snogging your sister.' Harry thought.

"Ron don't do this again. The year hasn't even started yet and you're already rowing with Hermione. Over nothing mind you, just your problem with fancying her and the fact that other boys have realized that she's a pretty girl. Stop beating around the bush, Ron, and snog her for crap's sake, and stop bugging me about it." Harry said letting out everything he had wanted to say for the past three years. Ron just gaped at Harry. The door slid open and Hermione and Ginny walked in. Ron swung around then stumbled back to the bench across from Harry, who sat up so Ginny could sit next to him.

"Are you done yet?" Hermione asked Ron, who just nodded and stared at her. "What?" Hermione asked staring back at Ron.

"Nothing." He said looking away from her. Harry just shook his head. 


	10. Chapter 10

The victorious shall rule the realm and the vanquished shall be food. – Brom

A/N: Blacklady of course your one of my favorite reviewers! You've been reviewing since my first fan fiction! And I'm sorry that I haven't emailed you. My dad just changed the way our email works, it's really weird and I haven't managed to figure it out just yet! But if it helps here is my email address: Hopefully that is of some service to you. And thank you to everyone else who reviewed or even just read it. I know that I do that a lot.

Chapter Ten

Annabella Fantle touched the cold silk that covered the metal of her coffin. She tried to remember if the silk had been there when she had fallen asleep. She decided that it had not been.

She pushed at the lid, it lifted up and she pushed it on the polished stone floor. She did not move until the lid stopped making noise. She peered over the rim of the coffin and saw that she had been put in a large stone tomb. The coffin was set on top of a stone slab with runes engraved all over it.

"Lucian." She muttered. "Always one for the dramatics, aren't you, dear?" She slowly lowered her right leg onto the cold floor, and then swung her left leg to the floor. She stayed close to the ground and crept to the metal and stained glass doors of the tomb.

Annabella pulled the stained glass doors open and then broke the lock on the black metal gate and pushed them open. She stood up and looked at the miles of forest that surrounded her tomb.

She sighed. There was nothing she could do about it. So, there was no point in getting mad about it. At least that is what she told herself.

"Well, maybe I'll find something to eat in there." Annabella said, walking into the forest.

-----

Charlie sat up suddenly from the coach he had been sleeping on. He was breath hard and looked a little frantic. Molly came into the living room and smiled at her son.

"Oh, good, you're up, Charlie. Could you help your brother and Cassie set the table? Maybe if you're out there they'll actually set the table and not just snog on top of it." She said.

"Course, Mum." Charlie said, getting up. He rubbed his eyes as he walked to the backyard. "Crap, Bill." Charlie moaned at the sight in front of him. Bill was on the table with a very happy looking Cassandra underneath him with her legs wrapped around his waist. Bill looked up at Charlie as his hand was making its way up the back of her shirt. Cassandra pushed Bill away and straightened her shirt.

"I'll go get the silverware." Cassandra said before leaving the two brothers outside. Bill smiled at Charlie.

"Did you really have to do that while Mum was in the kitchen?" Charlie asked.

"You didn't see how good her bum looked when she bent over the table to put the plates down." Bill said grinning at the memory. Charlie looked at the half set out plates, then back at his giddy brother. Cassandra came back out with her arms full of silverware.

"Who's coming over?" Charlie asked, as Cassandra put the silver ware down.

"Most of the Order, or what's left of it, anyway." Cassandra said placing the silverware next to each plate.

"Oh, allow me." Bill said pulling out his wand. He waved it once and all of the silverware flew to its proper place.

"I already like you, Bill, there's no need to try to impress me anymore." Cassandra said touching Bill's chest.

"But I like to impress you." Bill said touching her cheek. She turned her head up to meet his lips with hers.

"I think I'm going to vomit." Charlie said.

"Charlie, if you weren't feeling well why didn't you tell me?" Molly asked feeling Charlie's forehead with the back of her hand.

"Mum, I feel fine as long as I don't have to sit next to the love birds." Charlie said swatting away his mother's hands.

"Bill, if you don't let that girl breath I will cut that hair in your sleep!" Molly yelled at Bill, who reluctantly let go of Cassandra. Charlie caught Cassandra's eye then went into the kitchen, which was thankfully empty. Cassandra came in after him.

"They changed, didn't they?" She asked.

"Yeah, last night. She was in her coffin the way she always was. Then she started moving. Her eyes opened and she said Dag. I could have sworn she was looking straight at me. Then just now I had a dream about her getting out of the coffin and leaving the tomb she was in." Charlie said. Cassandra nodded. "Do you know what this means?"

"No, but I'm going to find it out." Cassandra said, she turned on her heels and walked back out side. "Billy?"

"Yes, Cassie?" Bill said smiling as she walked up to him.

"I'm going to have to go away for awhile." Cassandra said playing with his shirt.

"But you're coming back?" Bill asked.

"Yes, Bill, I'll always come back for the man that stole my heart." Cassandra said kissing him.

"That was beautiful." Bill said kissing her back. "Like you." Bill kissed her again. "You don't really have to go, do you?" Bill asked sucking on her neck.

"I'm sorry, Bill, but I have to." Cassandra said. Giving him one last kiss she walked away. She created the Mists and before she walked through it she gave one last wave to Bill.

-------

Harry sat on the roof of Gryffindor Tower and watched the stars appear in the sky. He looked back down at the book that lay closed in his hands.

"Show me something interesting." Harry said to the book. The cover flipped open and the pages flew to a certain page and Harry read.

'The Key lay sleeping and the Lost One watches the Key do so for some time, before removing his shoes and his cloak. He gets in bed next to the Key. It wakes up and looks at the Lost One.

"Doing here what are you, hairy?" The Key asks.

"Essential, you are to me." The Lost One says.

"What is the meaning of these words?" The Key asks.

"You are the Key to all that I do. My reason, you are to fight the half breed. Has it always been you?" The Lost One asks.'

Harry closed the book. He stuffed his still warm pipe and un-smoked tobacco in an inner pocket in his robes. He put the book under his arm and climbed back into his old dorm room. He walked quietly down into the Common Room. He looked at the girl's stairs. He placed a light foot onto the first step, nothing happened. He put more weight on it, still nothing. He started to walk up the stairs and made it all the way to the sixth year girl's dorm and still nothing happened. He opened the door quietly and felt with his mind for Ginny's bed. 

The third one on the right.

Harry walked over to her bed and pulled back the curtain. Ginny lay asleep and the only thing that came to Harry's mind was the word 'perfect.' He took off his shoes and cloak and put them under Ginny's bed with the book. He got in bed next to Ginny. She rolled over, stretched, and opened her eyes.

Harry smiled at her. She was wearing one of his shirts that he thought he had lost last year. She smiled back.

"What are you doing here, Harry?" She asked.

"You're essential to me, did you know that?" Harry said.

"What are you talking about, Harry?"

"You're the key to everything I do. You're my reason, Ginny. You're why I need to fight Voldemort. It's always been you, hasn't it?" Harry asked wrapping his arms around her. He suddenly got it. Ginny was the Key. She was the essential piece to everything he did. She was the Key to his life.

"Have you lost your mind?" Ginny asked.

"Just go to sleep. I'll watch you."

"What if you get caught?"

"I'll leave before dawn. Don't worry." Harry said. Ginny closed her eyes and snuggled against him. 

"Harry?" She asked looking up at him.

"Yes, Ginny?"

"How did you get in here?"

"I don't know." 


	11. Chapter 11

"Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one."— Albert Einstein

Chapter Eleven

Joshua Juarbe sat at his desk as his first block class filed in. He watched them walk in and take their seats. 

He was dumbfounded as to why his father found this particular species so enthralling. He found them ordinary if anything.

The students chatted a bit longer then they should have and Hermione shushed them. The class looked at Joshua expectantly. He picked at his nail and looked back. He stood up suddenly, he walked to his office door, and then turned back to the class.

"I have a surprise for you." He said. He opened the door and eight teenage Pagans came out of it. Joshua sat back down as the teenager took eight chairs facing the class. "Alright, one of you tell me what they are." Joshua said. Hermione's hand went straight into the air. Joshua pointed at her.

"They're Pagans, Professor Juarbe." She said.

"Correct, twenty points to whatever house you're in." He said.

"I'm in Gryffindor." Hermione said.

"If I really cared, I would have asked. But whatever, does anyone know what she means by the term 'Pagan?'" Joshua asked. Ron raised his hand slowly. Hermione kept her hand down. She was a little upset by what Juarbe had said. Joshua nodded at Ron.

"She means that they aren't human, but some other species that falls under the category of Pagan." Ron said. Harry looked at Ron, he was impressed. Hermione turned around to look at him. "You were talking about them all summer. Do you really think that I don't listen to you all the time?" Ron mumbled to Hermione, she smiled at him, he blushed, and Harry tried not to vomit. He hoped they would not be like this all year.

"Yeah, good, twenty points to your house too." Juarbe said. "What I have assembled in front of you are eight bona fide Pagans. And right now they are going to tell you their names and their species. And mind you, we will be studying them all year."

"I am Lawrence Koss and I am a Star Wizard." He had maroon eyes and blonde hair. He was built strong and was very tall. He was the great, great, great grandson of Migdigus Koss. 

"Hey," Said the next Pagan, "I'm Nathan Swanson, and I'm Dien." He looked remarkably like his father. Though he was not planned, expected or really wanted by his mother, his father, Nicolas Swanson, was very caring. And although their father's pretty much hated each other, Nathan and Sirius jr. got along very well.

"Angelica Reeves, Fearie." The next girl said quickly. She had long dirty blonde hair with dark pink eyes. She had a tattoo on her back of two great pink wings that would turn into real wings if she willed them to.

"Hi, I'm Sirius Black jr. you may know my father, he was put in jail by your crummy government, oh yeah I'm a Siren male." Sirius Black jr. said. He smiled at Juarbe who aptly ignored him.

"My name is Wednesday Flowers and I am a Keeper." She had straight black hair and dark eyes that were purple if you got close enough, you did not want to get close enough. She was short but packed a lot of punch and like all Keepers she did not really care how you felt as long as she got her point across. No matter how many times she had to hit you.

"I'm Remus Lupin jr. and I am Half-Wolf." He looked at Sirius and shook his head. Sirius was trying desperately to get Harry's attention. And Harry was trying as hard as he could to not laugh his ass off.

"I am Nakita Lupin and I too am Half-Wolf." Nakita was doing a great job ignoring her idiotic boyfriend. Which was proving harder and harder as the moments past.

"I am Prince James Juarez the XVIV and I am proudly a Changling." He looked remarkably like the uncle he was named after. Though his hair was curly, it was the same jet black and his eyes were the same hazel. He was built similarly to his uncle James as well. He was tall but muscular, thin but cut. He was Joseph Juarez's youngest son, and since James always was Joseph's favorite brother he named his youngest son after him.

"Good, moving on. We will study one species a month. I don't believe in homework so don't worry about that, but I'll give out extra credit. I do believe in tests, though, and you will be having one at the end of each month. If you speak out of turn, hit another class mate, hit on another classmate, or do anything that pisses me off you will have a detention at five o'clock in the morning here with me. You will sit and that's it. A word of advice, don't get a detention." Joshua said standing up. He walked over to the corner and touched the top of a pile of books. They flew through the air and one book landed in front of each of the students. "To do well on your tests you need to read. I don't give a flying shit if you like to read, if you want to pass you'll do it. Other then that I'm not going to make you read. Live with it. Does anyone have any questions?" Juarbe said sitting down behind his desk again. No one moved. "Good, leave."

-----

Jon Smeth stood in the center of a cleared out class room. There were mats all over the floor, and the muscular Dien did not have a shirt on, which caused a lot of the girls, and a couple of the guys, to stop short at the door. 

Harry, Ron, and Hermione stood in one corner, talking quietly.

"I'm sure he didn't mean anything by it, Hermione." Harry said.

"A professor should care to know about the school they choose to work at. And Juarbe said it himself, he doesn't care. I don't know what McGonagall was thinking when she hired him." Hermione said.

"Well, his father used to work here. I'm sure that factored into it." Harry said.

"That doesn't give him an excuse to be a dick." Ron said.

"I think, he thinks it does."

"Alright class, get in a circle around me." Jon Smeth ordered his class. To the best of their abilities the class did as Jon commanded. "Hello and good morning, I am Professor Jon Smeth and I will be teaching you Physical Defense. Meaning that you don't need your wand in this class." The entire class moaned. "But you do need stamina, agility, and good hand-eye coordination. While you won't be using your wand you will be taught how to use daggers, swords, guns, spears, axes, sticks, bows and arrows and your most deadly weapons, your hands and your legs." He said. Seamus Finnegan raised his hand. "Yes, little human boy, you have a question."

"It's Seamus Finnegan, and why won't we be using our wands? The Death Eater's get to use their wands." Seamus pointed out. The class muttered in agreement.

"Yes, Mister Finnegan, you are quite right. But you must understand that not all the adversaries you will meet will be Death Eater's and therefore human." Jon Smeth said. The class shut up immediately. "Mister Potter." Jon turned to Harry and the entire class looked at him. "I want you do something for me."

"What's that, Professor?" Harry asked.

"Think up the jinks or curse you are best at and I want you to use it one me." Jon said. Harry looked a little confused, but nodded and thought.

"STUPIFY!" Harry yelled pointing his wand squarely at Jon's chest. The curse hit him, and he stepped back a few paces. Once the commotion died down everyone looked at Professor Smeth who was still standing and still looking at Harry.

"Very good, Mister Potter. Ten points to Gryffindor, that was fantastic. And it was the perfect example to answer Mister Finnegan's question more thoroughly. Your wand doesn't work on Pagan unless they let it. I will teach this class under the assumption that they won't let it. Are there any other questions?" Jon asked, spinning around in circle to see everyone. Hermione raised her hand. "Yes, little human girl, you have a question."

"My name is Hermione Granger, and will there be any reading material in this class?" She asked hopefully.

"I'm afraid there isn't any, Ms. Granger. Reading can't get you good at this, practicing can. Which brings me to the homework for tonight." The class moaned again. "Oh, come on it's easy. All I want you to do is break up into groups of threes for practicing. See, that's easy."

"Why threes?" Ron asked.

"Two of the group will fight, and the other will be there to make sure that the two fighting play fair, then you'll switch off." Jon explained. "About rules in this class. You're bound to get hurt, live with it. You're learning to defend yourself and none of you are properly trained so somebody is bound to slip up. Don't get mad and hurt them back. I will know if you do. And if you do you will have a half an hour detention with me. In which we will practice against each other and at the end of which I will be carrying you to the Hospital Wing, understood. Just don't get cared away, accidents happen, there's nothing that can be done about it, so don't get mad about it. Anymore questions?" No one raised their hand. "Good, have nice day."

------

"I liked him, he was nice." Hermione said as they walked to Defense Against the Dark Arts.

"You just liked him because his shirt was off." Ron said.

"Shut it, Ron." Harry snapped at Ron. "You remember our discussion on the train." Ron turned slightly red. "My opinion still stands so don't finish that thought. And by the way, I agree with Hermione he is much nicer than Juarbe." Harry said.

"What discussion on the train?" Hermione asked as they sat down in class.

"You're going to have to ask Ron about that." Harry said.

"Well, ask him later, because I'm starting class now." Migdigus said. Harry, Ron, and Hermione jumped at his voice. "Hello, class, I am Professor Migdigus Koss. I am under the impression that you haven't had the same teacher for this class two years in a row ever. And I'm not formally trained as a teacher so I'm going to pretty much guess my way through this year. But then again I am older then this building so I think I know a thing or two about defending myself against the dark arts. I have lived through countless wars and it is my intension to teach you all how to live through this war. Now, I want you all to survive, I want you all to fight, for whatever you believe in. Your greatest ally is your honor. And I suggest that you do anything and everything to protect it." Migdigus waved his hand absently at a stack of books that flew to the students. Hermione's hand went up as soon as she opened the book. "Ah, yes, what is your name and what is your question?"

"My name is Hermione Granger, and I don't know if you've realized this but, Professor, these books aren't in English." Hermione said. Everyone opened there books and looked at the scribbley language that was written on each page. Harry could read the language, but did not say anything. For the first time, and certainly not the last time, Harry felt guilty for not telling Ron and Hermione something. He had never done that before.

"I see." Migdigus said picking up Harry's book and flipping through a couple of pages. He put down Harry's book and snapped his fingers. The writing inside all of the books changed to English, all of the books except Harry's. Harry looked up at Migdigus who winked at Harry. "Is that better, Ms. Granger?" Migdigus asked.

"Yes, sir." Hermione said, she was stunned at this little bit of Pagan Magick.

"Well, then moving on. These are Pagan books on the art of defense against the dark arts. And like all arts it is up to interpretations. The way Ms. Granger defends herself will no doubt be different from the way Mister Potter defends himself. You will be using a legion of instruments in this class. All of which are of the magickal persuasion. Many of which are Pagan instruments, that you've probably never heard of or thought of before. But fear not! I will lead you fearlessly onward through the difficulties of this year." Migdigus said waving his arms around dramatically.

"Professor?" Dean Thomas said getting Migdigus' attention.

"Yes, what's your name and what is your question?" Migdigus asked.

"Um, Dean Thomas, and what kind of instruments? Could you show us one?" He asked. Everyone in the class was interested in Pagan magickal means of defense.

"Of course." Migdigus disappeared into his office and came back with a metal gun-looking thing in his hands. He held it up for the class to see. "It is a difficult contraption to use but I will teach you. This gun captures all of the negative feelings its user has and once the trigger is pulled it sends all those feelings in an energy ball towards a target that the user has selected. It is difficult to use because one must be able to organize one's mind well enough to focus only on the negative feelings. There can be disastrous effects if you get it wrong, or the energy shot out of the end doesn't do much to the intended target." 

"Professor, will you be teaching here next year?" A Slytherin girl asked.

"That is a decision I am in the process of making. And why do you ask, little human girl, do you think that your ickle Dark Lord is going to scare me away from the position? Because let me tell you now, I have seen scarier things then him come out of my nose, and that's not saying so much for him as it is for my nose." Migdigus said.

-------

"He was cool." Ron said as he, Harry and Hermione sat down in their Wandless Magick class.

"Yeah, if by cool you mean a little more then weird, I agree." Harry said.

"Harry, don't talk that way about your Professors." Hermione said.

"Well, you have to admit he was startling." Harry said, Hermione nodded grudgingly, but Ron was not paying either of them any attention. His eyes, a long with most of the males in the room, were glued to the statuesque beauty standing behind the desk at the front of the room. Her hands were on her perfectly proportioned hips and she wore a skin tight black silk dress that silhouetted her divinely. Her dress may have been tight but other then that it showed very little. Her black curls lay on her shoulders and her merlot eyes lay on Harry.

"Harry Potter," She said, the whole class looked at Harry, he was getting sick of that, "My husband has told me so much about you. I'm really sorry we couldn't have met under more private circumstances. But you see I've been busy raising our children. Sirius was very adamant that I met you. Maybe we can talk after class, when we are away from prying ears and eyes." Serena Black said. Harry was too stunned to speak, so he just nodded. "Good." She walked around her desk, and then sat on top of it. "I am Professor Serena Black, and I will be teaching you Wandless Magick." She said she had just finished when Hermione's hand was in the air. "Ah, Hermione Granger, Sirius spoke very highly of you, what is your question?" Hermione blushed a little.

"Well, thank you, and can't only Mages do wandless magick?" Hermione asked.

"You are very welcome, Ms. Granger, and if you haven't noticed in your other classes with Pagan professors they don't use wands. Now, that's not just because their Pagan, but that they're practiced at it. And in my class you will become practiced at it too. You are all more then capable of doing everything that they did without a wand. And I will have the joy of teaching it to you." Serena said. She snapped her fingers and books appeared in front of each student. "You will learn things like that near the end of the year, seeing as it is rather advanced. You will be graded daily at your progress. Are there any other questions?" Ron's hand went up. "Yes, Mister Weasley, you have a question."

"Professor Koss did this thing were he snapped his fingers and the language our book was written in changed to English. And just now you snapped your fingers and books appeared. What's with that?" Ron asked. Harry bit his lip in an effort not to laugh at the look Ron was giving Serena.

"Well, Mister Weasley, what a lovely topic to bring up? Fifty point to Gryffindor, I think would fair for bring up such an important topic on the first day of class. Your action in performing wandless magick matters very little. Your intent is want you need to focus on. You need to force the action in your mind to become the action that happens. I intended on materializing your books, so I thought about it very hard and nothing else, snapped my fingers and there they were. I make it sound easy but when you're a beginner it can be quite hard. With practice and dedication you can do everything you've seen done today and more."

-----

Harry waited behind as the rest of the class left. Wandless Magick was his last class of the day so he could stay as long as he wanted. Or more likely as long as she wanted him.

Serena smiled at Harry. "Come into my office, we have so much to talk about." She said walking over to her office door. Harry followed her and though he loved Ginny very much (not that he would admit it at the moment) he could not help but let his eyes wonder over Serena's perfect curves. She sat behind her desk and Harry sat in front of it. He saw that she had lots of pictures of her and Sirius on her desk. There were also pictures of her children and her friends. And one that caught Harry's eye and kept it. It was a picture of her, Sirius and Harry's mum and dad. The four of them moved around and smiled at each other. Harry smiled at his picture mum, who smiled back and blew him a kiss. Picture James took immediate offence and began to snog picture Lily. Harry laughed at this. "So, Harry, what do you want to know?" Serena asked pulling Harry's attention away from the picture and back to her.

"Are you my godmother?" Harry asked immediately.

"No, Harry, your godmother is Remus' wife. You see your father was always close to her. He trusted his life to her and his most precious gift her. His only son." Serena said, tilting her head to the side.

"Why didn't she claim me?"

"She is a Pagan, Harry. Technically she had no right to claim you, because she doesn't exist in this world. I'm sorry, Harry, there was nothing we could do." Serena said touching Harry's hand. Harry just nodded, when something occurred to him.

"If you are a Pagan, doesn't that mean that Sirius was a Pagan too?" Harry asked.

"Yes." Serena said retracting her hand.

"Bill Weasley comment over dinner one night that Pagans can die numerous times, isn't that right?"

"Yes, quite right in fact."

"Then is Sirius alive?" Harry asked with more hope in his voice then he really wanted to show at that point.

"Sirius was never dead, Harry." Serena said.

"Then what happened." Harry asked. Serena sighed.

"I felt that things in the human world were getting a bit ugly. So I asked my Changling friend to follow my husband around, you know, to keep him out of trouble, that he always seems to be getting himself into, and, you know, to keep up the façade that he was human. Well, she followed him down to the Hall of Mysteries or whatever it was called. And when she saw that Bellatrix was going to try and kill him she jumped him and made him invisible so it looked like he had fallen into that curtain thingy." Serena explained. Harry digested this information for some time. He was overjoyed. Sirius was not dead! He had the closest thing he ever had to a father back again. Harry looked up at Serena.

"When can I see him?" Harry asked.

"I'll write to him tonight, you'll see him tomorrow. And Harry, keep this quiet. He was human to most of the people here and for the time being we would like to keep it that way."

"Of course, Professor." Harry said grinning like a fool.

------

Harry burst into the Gryffindor Common Room with the biggest grin on his face imaginable. He grabbed Ginny around the waist and pulled her out into the hall, and then he grabbed Ron and Hermione by their robes and dragged them into the hall as well.

"I have the most spectacular news, but it needs to be told in the utmost secrecy. So, we are all off to the Head's Common Room because I have to tell you all right now!" Harry exclaimed before turning in the direction of the Head's Common Room. A rather taken aback Ron, Hermione and Ginny followed Harry up to the fat witch with horns. "Lortus!" Harry yelled at the witch, who jumped out of the way. Harry pushed his way in followed by Ron, Hermione and Ginny.

"This better be good, Harry." Ron said sitting down on one of the coaches.

"It is good, Ron, its better then good, its fan-bloody-tastic!" Harry yelled.

"Well, what is it?" Hermione asked sitting next to Ron.

"Sirius Black, senior that is, isn't dead." Harry said. This comment was met with silence.

"Harry, all of us saw him fall through that curtain thing, you included." Ginny said, feeling bad for her secret boyfriend. "How could he not be dead?"

"Look, just hear me out. I was talking to Professor Black and she told me what actually happened. Serena's Changling friend tackled him a moment before Bellatrix's spell hit him. It just looked like he fell through the curtain. He never actually died. Look I don't care if you don't believe it, I'm going to see him tomorrow and want you guys to come too." Harry said. His three friends stayed quiet.

"I'll go with you, Harry." Ron said. "I'd like to see Sirius again."

"I'll go to. I'm not saying that I believe you just yet. But I'm willing to hope." Ginny said. "I always liked Sirius. He let me throw dung bombs around in his house." Hermione shook her head.

"Fine, I'll go, but I'm not getting my hopes up." Hermione said.

"No one asked you to." Harry said. Ginny and Ron laughed while Hermione looked murder at Harry. 


	12. Chapter 12

The dragon ruled the land, the boy ruled the dragon. – Brom

A/N: I am going to be honest with you, (my dear reviewers and readers) I have written up to and including chapter 25 in this story. This means something that all of you probably already know… I'm lazy. I am not apologizing, merely pointing out a fact. Mock me as you like, only know that I am the only one that can update this story and will do so more often if properly provoked.

Chapter Twelve

Harry got out of Ginny's bed that morning while it was still dark outside. He put his shoes back on and slipped on his robes, before creeping down to the Common Room.

He could not sleep that night. So, after two solid hours of pacing in the Head's Common Room he decided to see Ginny again. She seemed to really like the idea of spending the night in his arms. 

He liked it for a very different reason and one that he did not really understand yet. He liked that he could keep an eye on her while she was at her most vulnerable. He felt that with him there he could keep her safe. That somehow his mere presents made her untouchable to anyone less then savory.

It was oddly comforting.

Harry sat in the Common Room waiting for everyone else to wake up. He would just tell Ron that he had been waiting for him so that they could go to breakfast together.

Harry felt something in his pocket. He reached in and pulled out the locket that R.A.B. had placed as a fake Horcrux for Voldemort to find. He opened it and read the note again.

Then something occurred to him. Maybe the reason Hermione could not determine who R.A.B. was, was because R.A.B. was a Pagan?

It made sense. There were no books in the library about famous Pagans. It had Juarbe's old Speciology book but that was it.

Harry decided to ask Sirius' opinion when they met again that night.

Until then, he would just have to wait.

-----

Sirius Black senior sat behind his wife's desk yawning and looking at the pictures on her desk. He stared particularly hard at a picture that showed Serena and him snogging heatedly. Serena walked in and Sirius smiled at her while taking his feet off of her desk. She strutted over to him, sat on his lap and kissed him.

"I missed you last night." Sirius said between kisses.

"Am I only good for nightly pleasures?" Serena asked in mock hurt.

"Oh, of course not, you're just best at them." Sirius smiled as she hit him and got off of his lap. "When's Harry coming? I want to see my godson, where is he?" Sirius asked walking over the door and opening it. Serena pulled him back into her office and slammed the door shut.

"You are human to everyone here but the other Pagan Professors. You are not to leave this room until nightfall, am I understood?" Serena demanded. Sirius picked at her desk, and nodded. "Good, I have to go to breakfast." Serena said straightening her black dress.

"You're going in that?" Sirius asked pointing at her sleeveless turtleneck, skin tight black dress that ended mid thigh.

"What's wrong with it?" She asked looking in a full length mirror at herself.

"Nothing, if we were on a date and then went home to shag." Sirius said.

"What do you mean?"

"That dress says 'please shag me! Pretty please shag me!'" Sirius said. "I mean I will but you have to go to a breakfast during which you won't eat, could you bring it back for me?"

"My dress is perfectly fine." Serena said turning on her heals then leaving her office, while ignoring her husbands pleases for food and sex. Two of his favorite things.

"Your dress will cause many a wet dream." Sirius muttered to himself sitting behind Serena's desk, he put his feet up and yawned again.

-------

That night Harry rushed Hermione, Ron, and Ginny down to Professor Black's classroom. Ginny certainly had a hard time seeing her secret boyfriend be so damn cute and not be able to stop him the middle of the hallway and snog him. But she was not quite sure that would go over so well with Harry. He was very excited.

Unlike Hermione, Ron and Ginny he had no doubt that Sirius was alive. Call it instinct, call it blind hope, Harry just had a feeling that in a couple of seconds he would be hugging his godfather.

And in a few seconds he was hugging his godfather.

Hermione, Ron, and Ginny stood in the door awestruck by the younger looking Sirius in front of them. He looked like he could have been in his twenties. There was not a wrinkle in site on his handsome face.

"You look smashing, Sirius." Harry said grinning at his godfather. The fact that Sirius had practically de-aged did not seem to bother Harry.

"Well, Harry, when have I not looked smashing?" Sirius asked giving his most charming smile to his wife, who rolled her eyes. Harry laughed.

Ginny was the first to pull out of her shock and hug Sirius. She had been thinking that she would have to comfort her heartbroken boyfriend that night, and she was secretly and selfishly a little upset that she would not be.

"You do look fantastic, Sirius." Ginny said.

"Ah, Ms. Weasley the time we have spent apart has done wonders on you as well." Sirius grinned. That comment snapped Ron out of his state of shock.

"I don't care how long you've not been dead, you are too old and too married to flirt with my under age sister." Ron snapped. Hermione started laughing behind Ron. She walked up to Sirius and hugged him too.

"You're a good mentor to your sister, Ron." Remus senior said shaking his head at Sirius. Remus seemed to look younger too. His grey hair was gone and the wrinkled sad look on his face was replaced with a happy content look.

"What? And you're saying I'm not?" Sirius asked.

"Yeah I think that that's exactly what he's saying." A Pagan standing next to Remus said. Remy snaked her arm around her husband's waist and leaned her head on his shoulder.

"Harry, I'd like you to meet my wife and your godmother, Remy." Remus said introducing them. Remy walked up the Harry. Harry held out his hand and she took it before pulling Harry into a hug.

"I'm sorry I couldn't take you when you were a baby, Harry. But some things just aren't meant to work out." Remy said smiling. She cupped Harry's cheeks and looked into his eyes. "What beautiful eyes you have?" She said admiringly. Sirius walked up behind Remy.

"Lily." Sirius said pocking the left lens of Harry's glasses and smearing it.

"Oh, Sirius, you've gone and smeared his glasses." Remy said taking Harry's glasses off his face and wiping them on her shirt. 

Harry blinked a couple of times and suddenly he could see. Everything around him was perfectly crystal clear. 

Remy put his glasses back on. Harry had to blink a couple more times before he could see again. He shook it off for that moment. He would talk to Sirius about it later.

Soon, they were all sitting at one of the tables talking and laughing.

"I have a request to make." Harry said.

"Request away my favorite godson." Sirius said smiling.

"I want to know how you guys met my dad." Harry said out of the blue. Sirius and Remus looked at each other. Sirius took a deep breath before starting.

"Well, Harry, I met your dad just outside of platform 9¾. I remember I had been yelling at my brother for some reason that seemed good at the time, when your dad walked up to me and kicked me in the shin. I turned to him and asked him what his problem was. And he said he had a problem with me picking on someone half my size and that I should pick on someone my own size. And then I said 'oh, someone like you.' And your dad just nodded. So, I kicked him back. And then he tackled me. He was about to punch me when his dad pulled him off of me." Sirius said.

"You're kidding." Hermione said incredulously.

"No, I'm afraid I'm not."

"Then how did you ever end up friends?" Ron asked.

"Well, James looked mighty pissed at his dad for pulling him off me, you know, before he could finish so he stumped off through the platform with his mum and dad trailing after him. I swear I heard my mother mumble something along the lines of 'to bad that Potter boy didn't get the chance to knock some sense into him.' And I saw my dad nod. So, I stumped off through the platform as well, but my parents didn't care much to follow me. I decided, as I cooled down from my gallant fight, that James and I had a lot in common. We were both pure bloods and at that point we were both mad as hell at our parents. So, being the curious and handsome young thing that I was, I wanted to see what else we had in common. I followed him onto the train and opened the door to his compartment to see him sulking. He didn't look at me, and after a good couple minutes of us in utter silence, he finally looked up at me and said 'well, are you going to stand there all day like a bloody fool or are you going to sit down?' Needless to say, I sat down. And the rest is history." Sirius said looking quite proud of his story.

"Well, how did you meet my dad?" Harry asked Remus.

"I was sitting in a compartment alone, how I managed that is anyone's guess, when your father came by. He pulled the book I had been reading out of my hands and said, 'come on you're going to sit with me and my new stupid friend Blacky.'" Remus said. "Well, Harry, I got up and went with him… Not much of a story I'm afraid."

"He called me 'Blacky?'" Sirius asked. Remus nodded. "He swore he'd stop doing that." Remus rolled his eyes.

"Something you should know about you father, Harry, is that he hated to see anyone alone. Which is one of the very few reasons we befriended Peter in the first place." Remus said.

"James insisted." Sirius said almost sadly.

"But on a different note. James would do anything to make anyone not as lonely. For example, the first few weeks at Hogwarts your mum had no friends. She hung out with her books. And James simply hated that. Not only because he hated to see people alone but because he had already developed quite a crush on her."

"'Quite a crush'? That's a joke. He stopped dead at the foot of the stairs because she was sitting by the fire reading. Mind you, Harry that was the first time your father ever saw your mother, and he looked… I don't know how to describe the look on his face the first time he saw her." Sirius said.

"He looked sure, Harry. He looked at her and I could see him thinking 'that's it, I'm done. I don't need to look for any other woman. That's her.' He looked positive. At the time it was a weird thing to see on his face. But then again I had only known him for about a day. So, what did I really know?" Remus asked.

"Well, anyway, Harry, your dad was already really popular at Hogwarts because he was loud. And for some reason people just listened to him. He was naturally a smart ass when it came to good ideas. So, when he finally noticed that your mother didn't really have any friends he talked to a bunch of the first year girls and got her friends."

"Now, Harry, she never knew he did that for her. And when I talked to her years later about your father, I realized that she really didn't know that much about him. She knew what he pretended to be to get her attention. Because somebody told James that any attention is good attention." Remus said looking accusatorily at Sirius.

"What!" Sirius demanded. "He didn't have to listen!" Harry laughed.

"I remember one time. It was in our first year and it was when I realized that James was a little more then smitten with Ms. Evans. He had bumped into her while we were walking to class or something, and all her books went all over the floor. He looked into her eyes, after picking up her books and apologizing over and over again, and saw she was absolutely horrified. She was afraid of him, because he was popular and she was, in her opinion, nobody. He handed her the books and she scurried away without so much as a thank you. And I looked into James' eyes, which were still glued to her, and I saw just immense sadness. And I think that the reason he put up with her yelling at him was because he thought that her looking at him with immense hatred was better then her looking at him with horror." Remus said.

"He was much nobler then he ever let on. He kept a lot of his best qualities to himself which was why I really didn't get it when your mum called him a 'self centered prat.' When he was around her he only ever talked about her. It was kind of annoying, I remember ignoring him a lot." Sirius said. Everyone laughed. Hermione looked at her watch and yawned.

"I don't know about the rest of you but I'm going to bed." She said standing up. "It was great seeing you again, Sirius." Hermione hugged him again. Ron watched her go and yawn too.

"I think I'll be off too." He said quickly standing up. "Good to see you, Sirius." Ron left almost running after Hermione and calling her name.

"They are so in love it's sickening." Ginny said, stifling a yawn.

"You can go to bed too, you know?" Harry said smiling flirtatiously at her.

"I don't want to go to bed yet." Ginny said blushing. Sirius raised his eyebrows at the other adults in the room, and mouthed, 'maybe we should give them some privacy?' The other Pagan's nodded in agreement.

"Serena, did I leave that letter in your office?" Remy asked, thinking of a quick excuse to leave Harry and Ginny alone, and then standing up.

"I think you did." Serena said playing along and standing too.

"Sirius, Remus I want you to read this letter too, so come along." Remy said disappearing into Serena's office. Sirius leaned down to Harry's ear and whispered:

"Don't do anything I wouldn't. And feel free to do anything that I would." 

Harry smirked before turning to Ginny. Now that they were alone Ginny wrapped her arms around Harry's neck and kissed him deeply. When they broke apart they were breathing hard.

"What was that for?" Harry asked kissing Ginny's cheek.

"Being so cute when we were coming down here." Ginny said nuzzling Harry's neck and stifling another yawn.

"You're tired, Ginny-baby, go to bed, I'll see you later." Harry said pulling reluctantly away from her.

"By 'later', do you mean 'later tonight'." Ginny asked hopefully.

"If you want me to come tonight, I will." Harry said standing up and pulling her up with him.

"Promise you will?"

"I swear I will with all of my heart."

Ginny smiled and kissed Harry one last time before going to bed. Harry watched her disappear down the hall before going into Serena's office. The talking inside the small office stopped immediately as Harry entered. All eyes were on Harry.

"Talking about me, were you?" Harry asked lightly.

"Always." Sirius said smiling.

"I have something a little more serious, then how you met my dad, to ask all of you." Harry said pulling the fake Horcrux from his pocket.

"What is it, Harry?" Remy asked looking concerned.

"The night Dumbledore died, he and I went out looking for one of Voldemort's Horcruxes. You know, parts of his soul. And we found the place were one used to be. But it wasn't a real Horcrux that we found. Someone had gotten to the real one first and had left old Voldy a note and initials. I was thinking about it this morning and I thought that it was odd that Hermione couldn't figure out who this person was. I also thought it was odd that this person commented on their own death rather passively. It sounded like something a Pagan would do. You know seeing as they can die multiple times one death to destroy a locket isn't that much to them. And I thought that it would explain why Hermione couldn't figure out who the initials belonged to." Harry said.

"Well, Harry, what does the note say?" Serena asked. Harry opened the locket and pulled out the note.

"To the Dark Lord, I know I will be dead long before you read this but I want you to know that it was I who discovered your secret. I have stolen the real Horcrux and intend to destroy it as soon as I can. I face death in the hope that when you meet your match, you will be mortal once more. Signed R.A.B." Harry read. The Pagan's were quiet for a long time.

"R.A.B." Remus repeated to himself. "It doesn't sound like any Pagan I've heard of."

"Let me see that, Harry." Remy said reaching for the note. Harry gave it to her. She nodded. "Just as I suspected. I know exactly who R.A.B is. He is indeed a Pagan. Very keen of you to pick up on that, Harry."

"Well, who is it?" Harry asked eager of answers.

"R.A.B. stands for Randal Apert Babblesworth." Remy said.

"You mean that scientist guy who was obsessed with humans?" Serena asked.

"Yes, him. He was hardly the first Pagan to study humans as a part of Speciology, but he took it to a whole nether level. He made a completely new science out of it. Called it Humanology, the study of humans. He wrote tons of books on it. I listened to him speak once at a Speciology function, it was fascinating some of the things he had to say. I talked to him after class about how he had learned so much about humans. He said that he had gone to live with them for some time. And you can imagine that he found out rather quickly about the Wizarding World. He must have come right when Voldemort was gaining power. He talked about in his speech this one human that he had come across that had ripped his soul into seven pieces, and there was a gasp from the audience, and how he had personally tracked down a few of the piece himself and destroyed them. Then he went on about human eating habits." Remy said.

"Did he say how many he destroyed or what they were?" Harry asked drinking up every one of her words.

"Well, no, he didn't. Babblesworth lives up to his name, Harry, he babbles about everything. He probably had no intension of bringing it up, but saw or heard something that reminded him of it and started talking about it. It'd be a miracle if that Dien could stay on one topic for more then thirty seconds."

"Could I talk to him?" Harry asked suddenly. Remy thought about it for a moment.

"I can't see why not. I'll write to him see when he's free." Remy said smiling. "Anything to help my godson."

Harry smiled.

-----

Harry walked quietly into Ginny's dorm room feeling more at ease about the Horcrux situation then he had in a long time. Ginny opened the curtains to her bed as he approached. Harry slipped off his shoes and robes before climbing into bed next to her.

Ginny kissed Harry's lips lightly and lay down sighing. Harry lay down next to her.

"What took you so long?" Ginny asked. Harry pulled out his wand and caste a Silencing charm on the curtains around the bed.

"I asked them about something." Harry said leaning down to kiss her again. But Ginny was not having any of that.

"What did you ask them about?" Ginny asked sitting up, which forced Harry to sit up too.

"I don't really want to say. Dumbledore wanted me to keep what we did that night a secret." Harry said looking at anything but his girlfriend.

"I understand." Ginny said quietly. Harry looked back at her, and thought to himself, 'of course she understands.' He smiled at her, she smiled back.

Ginny grabbed the front of Harry's shirt and pulled him down on top of her. 


	13. Chapter 13

A real she devil, Hell bound and damn happy about it. – Brom

Beware the little girl that dances with devils. – Brom

Chapter Thirteen

James blew a heart shaped smoke ring towards Lily. She smiled and leaned over to kiss him. They were sitting on the balcony that was attached to their room.

"I love the way you smell like smoke all the time." Lily said kissing James' neck as he sucked on the end of his pipe again.

"I love you." James said blowing another heart shaped smoke ring at her. Lily smiled again and kissed him with more fervor.

Sirius senior walked up to them and rolled his eyes. He sat down next to James and took a sip of James' wine. When the couple did not stop kissing for what felt like forever to Sirius, he decided to interrupt them.

"Liiiiillllyyyy!" Sirius exclaimed butting his head right between them. Lily looked at Sirius as if to say, 'what do you want?' Sirius smiled at her. "You do realize that you're snogging a big headed git? To put it in your words." Sirius asked.

"I find now that is git-hood is rather charming and suits him very well. So, we were a bit busy, would you mind excusing us?" Lily asked, she did not wait for a reply instead she just planted her lips on James' once more.

"Alright then, I'll just go without telling you about your son." Sirius said getting up.

"WAIT!" Lily exclaimed pushing James away. Sirius stopped and sat back down.

"Yes, Lily dear?" Sirius asked pleasantly.

"How is he?" Lily asked very concerned, James continued to smoke his pipe.

"He? Who he?" Sirius asked.

"Don't play games with me. How is my son?" Lily snapped.

"Oh, your son, well, I don't know I haven't seen Bartimus in some time." Sirius said. Lily hit him. "OWW!"

"How is Harold, my son, Harold." Lily demanded.

"He goes by Harry, actually." Sirius said picking his nail.

"Sirius Black if you do not tell me this instant how my son is I will make it my job to hurt you." Lily threatened. Sirius looked up at her knowing that she was good to her word.

"Only our beloved Coyote can make it your job." Sirius said a matter-of-factly.

"I will make it her job, now answer her question." James said, smiling at his friend.

"He asked how I met James alright." Sirius said. "I just thought that it interesting that he suddenly wanted to know more about you two. I thought that you would like to know."

"What did you tell him?" James asked.

"I told him how you kicked me, and then tried to beat my ass but Mr. Potter pulled you off of me." Sirius said.

"You did what?" Lily asked turning to James.

"He was yelling his head off at his brother, and the poor boy was near tears, I swear. And his parents didn't look like they gave a damn. They didn't even look like they would have stopped me from killing their son." James said.

"You wouldn't have killed me." Sirius said surely, he laughed a little and looked nervously at James to confirm it.

"Probably not, but I was about to seriously kick your ass." James admitted.

"Not the point, did you ask Harry why he wanted to know?" Lily asked.

"No, but we did talk about the first time James saw you and the first time you two met. He seemed to like hearing about you guys." Sirius said.

"What do you mean the first time James saw me?" Lily asked. James shook his head at Sirius.

"Oh, you don't know? That's so cute." Sirius smiled at James who was trying and failing to look casual under his wife's glare.

"What happened the first time you saw me?" Lily asked again, staring at James.

"Nothing, Naketah, nothing happened the first time I saw you." James said using his pet name for her.

"That is not going to work this time, Mister. Tell me what happened."

"Whipped!" Sirius fake sneezed.

"You alright there, Sirius?" James said smacking Sirius harder then he needed to on the back.

"James, tell me now." Lily said. James sighed and ran his hand through his hair.

"We were walking down the stairs on the first day of class of our first year. I was walking in front of them. I saw you sitting by the fire alone, just reading and I stopped. Just stopped dead at the sight of you, and Sirius walked into my back and Remus walked into him, and so on. I just looked at you Lily and I knew for sure that I was looking at the love of my life." James said embarrassed looking at his lap.

"Why didn't you tell me that then? Why didn't you just walk up to me and tell that?" Lily asked smiling. She cupped his cheeks and forced him to look into her eyes.

"Would you have taken me seriously at eleven?" James asked.

"I guess your right. But why didn't you want to tell me now?" Lily asked.

"I didn't think you'd understand. Pagans just know, and I was raised in an environment that told me I'd just know. I was surprised nonetheless that I did."

"Will Harry know?" Sirius asked bringing James and Lily back to reality.

"He won't know right away. But he'll figure it out." James said.

"I think he already knows." Sirius said. James and Lily looked at Sirius asking him to elaborate.

"Who is he in love with?" Lily asked.

"I think that at this point love is a bit strong."

"Who is she?"

"The Weasley's youngest, Ginny."

"My boy found himself a redhead." James said proudly.

"And you think he loves her?" Lily asked.

"I'm almost positive he loves her." Sirius said.

"Why almost?" James asked.

"I think that he doesn't understand what he feels for her. Like he wants to love her but doesn't think that it's right to love someone so soon. I also think that he's having a hard time with what everyone wants him to do and what he wants to do. Everyone's telling him to save the world and all he wants to do is be with his girlfriend. Which is proving difficult especially since Voldemort has a tendency to kill those close to him. I think he's torn between what he wants and what's best for her or what he thinks is best for her." Sirius said. The three sat in silence for a moment.

"You know Lily, for the last five generations in my family all of the kings have married red heads? It was destiny, I tell you." James said disregarding everything Sirius had just said.

"You're impossible." Lily said rolling her eyes.

-------

Cassandra walked into the house she shared with three of her sisters. It was quite big enough for at least twenty times as many people then those that inhabited it. It had been their parent's house, but when their father left and their mother died, the house was left to Cassandra who insisted that her sisters stay.

"Margaret?" Cassandra called up the grand staircase. The nine hundred year old red headed Dien walked out of her room with papers still in her hands.

"Yes, Cassie." Margaret was all of five feet tall, with shoulder length straight red hair and a curvy to die for figure. Her eyes were as blue as the sea and her skin as white as a china doll.

"Have you seen Annabella anywhere?" Cassandra asked.

"No, why?" Margaret asked shaking her head.

"One of the humans I'm staying with has been having dreams about her, and he was able to accurately describe some of her memories. I think, and you may call me foolish, but nonetheless I think that this human maybe the reincarnation of Dag." Cassandra said.

"Her husband? But her husband wasn't human. Why would the Goddess put her husband's soul in a human body?"

"A test of love maybe? Look, I don't know but he said that he dreamt of her waking. So, I figured I'd look. I haven't found her anywhere, though."

"Starting to think you're wrong perhaps?" Margaret said shuffling her papers.

"Not in the least. But on another topic, I need your help." Cassandra said walking up the stairs to her sister.

"With what?" Margaret said leading Cassandra into her room. Her desk was a mess with papers, and so was her bed.

"I need to make an appeal." Cassandra said.

"For whom and for what?" Margaret asked pulling out the forms for appeals.

"For William Weasley and sex." Cassandra said simply smiling. Margaret looked up at her sister.

"Are you sure about this? He's human." Margaret said.

"I'm more then sure. I saw him and I was sure. Anyway the appeal gives you a year to have the sex, so, we can go at his pace. I know he loves me, Margie. I know it." Cassandra said.

"Give me a month or two, I'll have this filled out and passed." Margaret said. "If and only if, I get to meet him before you do because I am going to have to kiss a lot of ass to get this done."

"Will you can hand deliver it? I have to get back once I find Annabella." Cassandra asked smiling.

"Of course and might I add that no male before has made you smile at the very mention of him." Margaret said smiling back at her sister.

"He has lots of brother too." Cassandra said nudging her sister. Margaret shook her head.

-----

Annabella stood very still hidden by the shadows of a tree. She was still deep inside the forest that surrounded her tomb. She had been walking along looking for some sort of nourishment, when it came yelling towards her. It came in the form of a small black haired woman, yelling something about 'the Dark Lord' and how it 'wasn't her fault.' While Annabella was not particularly fond of human blood it would have to do. 

The woman sat on a large stone to rest when Annabella finally made her presents known. She walked out behind the woman, who turned around at once and pointed a polished wooden stick at Annabella's chest.

"Who are you?" The human demanded.

"I don't think that matters right now, little human girl." Annabella said.

"Stop moving, I'm warning you." The woman said her voice shaking. Annabella continued to move towards her and caught the woman's eyes in hers. The woman dropped her stick, backed up against a tree and Annabella leaned against it pressing her body against the quivering human.

"What is your name, little human girl?" Annabella said cutting the woman's finger on one of her fangs. She sucked the blood it let out.

"Bellatrix Lestrange." The woman whimpered.

"Oh really." Annabella said smiling at Bellatrix. "My name is Annabella. And you are going to answer some questions for me, okay, Bellatrix?" Bellatrix nodded, quivering badly. "Who is your Dark Lord and why is he here?"

"He is called the Dark Lord Voldemort and he is here to help the Vampire Queen Atu wreak her revenge." Bellatrix said not taking her eyes off Annabella.

"Were you helping him?"

"Yes, I am his most loyal servant."

"But you just told someone who is about to kill you all about his plans."

"I didn't tell you everything."

"Well, then, why don't you?" Annabella asked, her voice sickeningly sweet.

"He refuses to help her until she helps him kill Harry Potter."

"Potter?" The name sounded familiar.

"Yes, my master has tried many times to kill the boy but still he fails. On his last attempt he blamed me for ruining his chance."

"Foolish humans, never placing the blame on themselves."

"He's not human, not according to Atu he's not."

"The half-Pagan, half-human, eh?"

"That's what she says." Bellatrix said, she looked into Annabella's eyes. "Can I ask you a question?"

"A last request?" Annabella asked smiling.

"Are you a Weasley?"

"I'm afraid not, and I'm afraid that in a second you will be nothing." Annabella said putting her mouth on Bellatrix's throat. With her fangs fully extended and her arms around the now struggling human, she sunk her teeth into Bellatrix's fleshy throat and drank.

-----

Harry walked down to the Entrance Hall the next morning with Hermione and Ron. He saw the most interesting two people standing at the door. 

One male was shaped like an American football. He had a head of curly blond hair, a very round middle and a huge grin on his face. He wore a purple and yellow stripped suit, a solid scarlet vest and blue trousers. 

Next to him stood a slender female with black hair pulled into a tight bun on the top of her head. She wore a violently green dress that looked to Harry to be far too long for her. 

The two of them were talking to Remy Lupin. Actually it seemed that the male was doing most of the talking and the other two were just listening.

Remy caught Harry's eye and waved him over.

"I'll be right back." Harry said to Ron and Hermione. He walked over to Remy.

"Harry this is Doctor Randal Apert Babblesworth." Remy said indicating the football shaped Pagan. "And his wife Doctor Regina Allison Babblesworth." Remy said indicating the Pagan female. They both shook Harry's hand in turn.

"My, my, my aren't you just the spitting image of your father?" Dr. Babblesworth said patting Harry on the back.

"Yeah, I get that a lot." Harry said, smiling politely.

"Oh, dear me, I'm sure you do. That father of yours was very popular I hear." Babblesworth said, smiling pleasantly.

"Yeah, I heard that too." Harry said absently, he really did not want to talk about anything with Babblesworth in public. Everything that came out of this Pagan's mouth seemed sacred to Harry, like every babble would reveal something. "Don't we have a private meeting scheduled, we don't want to be over heard, do we?" Harry asked.

"Oh, oh of course not, my dear boy. Eight o'clock in Professor Koss' classroom, as arranged." Babblesworth smiled and Harry nodded before going off to breakfast. 


	14. Chapter 14

"Know thy enemy."—I'm not sure who said that…

A/N: This chapter is very important near the end, read carefully it's a lot.

Chapter Fourteen

"Alright, everyone shut up." Juarbe said walking out of his office. The class immediately quieted. "Can someone tell me why Star Wizards call themselves Liners?" Joshua asked sitting behind his desk. Hermione's hand went up, Juarbe nodded at her.

"When they fall from the sky, they create what looks like a line in the sky." Hermione said.

"Correct. When you see a 'falling star' what you are really seeing is a Star Wizard falling from the sky, onto some planet or other." Juarbe said standing up and walking over to Lawrence's chair. "Right now, Lawrence is going to show the class what a Star Wizard looks like when they first reach the ground."

Lawrence stood up and moved away from where the other Pagan's were still sitting. He closed his eyes then suddenly was something else entirely. He was about eight feet tall with two great wings on his back that had a wingspan of a fully ground tall man. His eyes were long, pointed and silver, and he had long pointed ears. He seemed to be on fire.

The whole class gasped.

"Put some pants on, Lawrence." Sirius said over the classes babble. A couple of girls giggled and looked longingly at Sirius, but he was not playing them any attention, he was trying too hard to make his girlfriend laugh at his joke. Hermione hushed the class and Juarbe looked gratefully at her.

"When a Star Wizard is in this form, there is no way to kill them, unless you are a Star Wizard also. The Star Wizard then changes its appearance to that of whatever species inhabits the planet they landed on." Juarbe looked at Lawrence. "Please turn back and take your seat." In a matter of seconds Lawrence was in his seat like nothing happened. "For extra credit tonight I want you to tell me via essay how exactly how Lawrence is able to do that to his body."

-------

"Quiet class, were about to begin!" Jon Smeth called to his class. "Get in your groups, were going to continue what we started yesterday with the fighting sticks. Every group gets three sticks. Today I want you to practice defense and offense. One of the two fighting is defense and the other is offense, the third keep the fight fair. We'll switch off in fifteen minutes."

The class broke off into their groups and began fighting. Of course, Ron, Harry and Hermione were in one group together.

"What did Remy want?" Hermione asked as she watched Harry and Ron fight. Harry found it rather easy and had hit Ron's stick out of his hands many times, much to Ron's frustration.

"I asked her about R.A.B. she wrote to him and asked him to come. He was that oddly shaped guy next to the girl who's the dress was too big." Harry said, hitting the stick out of Ron's hands again. Ron growled and picked it up.

"Well, who was he?" Ron asked irritably as he stood ready for Harry's attack.

"Doctor Randal Apert Babblesworth." Harry said quietly aiming low with his fighting stick. Ron blocked his blow with some difficulty.

"Harry, do you really have to hit so hard?" Ron asked. "I'm starting to think that you really do want to hurt me."

"Don't worry, Ronald. I'll make sure he does hurt you." Hermione said, smiling at Ron, who was steadily turning red. Harry smiling and aimed high, knocking the stick out of Ron's hands again.

"Harry!" Ron exclaimed, Harry just laughed.

-----

"Can anyone tell me what this is?" Migdigus asked holding up what looked like a flat metal sun with a glass center. Hermione raised her hand. "Yes, Ms. Granger, what is it?"

"It's a Throwing Sun." Hermione said.

"Yes, indeed it is. Now, Ms. Granger, what does it do?" Migdigus asked.

"What you do is place the glass center over an image of your intended target and say an enchantment in ancient Pagan. Then, if you say it right, the glass should glow blue. The Throwing Sun will fly from where ever you are and to your intended target, where ever they are and do all it can to kill the target. But like most Pagan Magickal weapons it leaves some sort of mark on the user if the target was successfully killed." Hermione said happily, she liked Migdigus, mostly because he liked her and she liked the defense book that he provided for the class. She spent most of the extra time between class and homework reading it.

"Very good, twenty points to Gryffindor. The Throwing Sun is used for non confrontational battle. It's like an assassin that will always get the job done. We will not be using the Throwing Sun though because it's too dangerous or at least that's what Professor McGonagall thinks. Though I do want you to read up on them tonight," Migdigus said looking at Harry, "because you never know when you might need to use one."

----

Harry stared at the floating feather in front of him during his Wandless Magick class. He was the only one in the class that had managed to make their feather float. Hermione looked over at Harry with frustrated jealousy.

"How are you doing that, Harry?" Hermione asked batting away Ron's feather that he was trying to tickle her neck with.

"Just relax, Hermione, and clear your mind. Focus on the feather and only the feather, it'll happen for you." Harry said not looking away from his feather. He wanted it to look like it took a lot more effort then it did to make the feather float. 

"Ronald, would you stop it with the feather?" Hermione snapped at Ron.

"Loosen up, Hermione, I know you like it." Harry whispered so that only Hermione could hear. Ron was staring at his motionless feather again, looking rather put out.

"I did not." Hermione said blushing beside herself.

"You did too. I can't see why you wouldn't, it's kind of kinky." Harry said smiling as Hermione turned redder.

"Stop it, Harry!" Hermione demanded quietly so that Ron would not hear. "Ronald and I aren't like that."

"Like I didn't notice that problem." Harry said flicking his finger to make his feather twirl around.

"It's not a problem. We're just friends, and that's all." Hermione said shortly.

"Hermione, you say something like that, and I know you don't mean it. How do I know you don't mean it? I'll tell you. Last year when Ron was dating Lavender, you got upset, mad, tried to make him jealous, these are signs, Hermione dear, of fancying someone. You both are just too damn proud to admit it. And it's sad." Harry said. Hermione was staring at Harry taking in his every word as he made his feather do back flips off the side of the table.

"It is?" Hermione asked.

"Terribly sad. Sad that you didn't get it in fourth year or fifth year or sixth year. He only ever started dating Lavender because he got it in his mind that you had snogged Viktor Krum. Jealousy is the tell tale sign of fancying someone. He was jealous of Krum in fourth year, fifth year and sixth year, and I bet you anything he still is. And why would he be jealous of Viktor if it weren't for that fact that you dated him?" Harry asked. Hermione looked back at her feather, then at Ron, who smiled weakly at her. She smiled back.

"What should I do?" Hermione asked Harry, he seemed to have all the answers today.

"He's been flirting with you since our little chat on the train. Flirt back, but not in front of me, it makes me sick that it's taken you two so damn long." Harry said. Hermione rolled her eyes at Harry.

She picked up her feather and tickled Ron's ear with it.

"Yeah, that's a start. Make me vomit." Harry muttered to himself looking back at his revolving feather.

------

Harry walked down to Professor Koss' classroom at eight o'clock as planned. He sat in the front row and waited. He did not have to wait long. He could hear Dr. Babblesworth down the hall, already talking away.

Doctor Randal Apert Babblesworth walked into the classroom with Professor Koss. He walked right up to Harry, who shook the shockingly large Dien's hand before sitting down next to him.

"I was just saying to Migdigus how dreadfully humans are treated in the Pagan world. It's something that's been on my mind for sometime now. Getting humans more rights, you know. I am fascinated with the species. Quite different from Pagans, humans are. We aren't built the same genetically. Harry, let me ask you a question. Do you know how genetically similar two humans are to each other?" Doctor Babblesworth asked, Harry was a little speechless and took a moment to respond.

"Well, no, Doctor Babblesworth." Harry admitted.

"Ninety-nine percent similar. And do you know how genetically similar a Pagan is to a human?"

"No, I don't."

"Three point four percent. We are simply very different species. And it wasn't until recently that any monarch cared to give humans any rights. Emperor of Tunisia, very nice Dien, I had dinner with him last week. He said that his bound companion talked him into it, and that he had been thinking of it for sometime himself because he had lived in the human world for awhile." Doctor Babblesworth said nodding at Harry.

"He sounds nice, is he anyone I might know?" Harry asked. Migdigus, who had been sitting idly at his desk, took this time to interrupt.

"Harry, weren't you going to ask Randal about the Horcruxes not about the monarchs of the Pagan World?" Migdigus asked.

"Ah, right. How did you find out about how Voldemort ripped his soul apart?" Harry asked.

"It was quite simple, Harry. Something about him wasn't as human as it should have been. I began to investigate rational solutions. I looked at his parentage and found something interesting. His father was Thomas Riddle, who in the Pagan world was known as Sir Thomas Riddle. He had been abandoned by his Pagan parents and taken to be raised by humans who bore the same surname. He returned to the Pagan world and was knighted for saving a court member from certain death. He returned to the Human World shortly after that, no one is quite sure why. He wed a human and they had child, apparently he had been under some enchantment and once he was rid of it he realized that though his wife was pregnant with his child she was still human." Babblesworth said.

"How can that happen?" Harry asked. "When Pagans have sex with humans the humans become Pagans. I'm getting this right aren't I? Juarbe just went over it yesterday."

"Yes, you are quite right. There has only ever been, I believe, two cases of this ever happening. Both of which are mentioned in the Prophecy of the Lost One. He is the villain that plays right hand to Atu in her final coming. And Sir Thomas Riddle knew that, so he abandoned his wife and child, though he loved them very much. His heart was broken when she died in child birth. It was said that he cursed the skies everyday that she wasn't a Pagan too. She wouldn't have died in child birth had she been Pagan, you see. 

"He ignored the child, pretended that he had never been part in making it. I visited him sometimes. He was the only other full Pagan on the planet at the time. It was a comfort you see, to be in the company of my own kind. Quite a change from human company, you know. More intellectual and what not. Oh the thing we would talk about. He told me what it was like from a Pagan's point of view being raised by humans. And one night he just broke down and told me all about his son. 'The half breed,' he called the poor boy. I didn't know what to do, so I kept it to myself, which probably wasn't the best idea. Before I knew it I was standing over Sir Thomas' grave, I had a right mind to dig him up and burn the body like a proper Pagan, but apparently that's against the law in this world.

"But the boy didn't know his father was a Pagan or even what that meant. He looked for all possible ways to be immortal, death was unthinkable to him. So, he tore his soul into pieces, to preserve his life, though I daresay he didn't need to. Even half of a Pagan is still a Pagan. It disgusted me, as you might imagine. I found as soon as I could the piece of his soul and destroyed them. I found a cup, a locket, and a silver quill. All had some importance to him. I couldn't get my hands on the other pieces though I am still looking." Babblesworth said.

"Thank you, Doctor." Harry said standing up.

"Oh, are we finished?" Babblesworth said a little more then disappointed, he did not get to babble as much as he would have liked to.

"I'm rather put out. We should meet again, though." Harry said.

"I would love that, quite a good listener you are, Harry. I'll have to check my schedule, and I'll have one of your professors inform you of our next meeting." Babblesworth said getting up.

"It was a pleasure to meet you."

"You as well, you as well." 


	15. Chapter 15

Do you love me because I'm beautiful, or am I beautiful because you love me? Oscar Hammerstein II

"Immature love says: 'I love you because I need you.' Mature love says 'I need you because I love you.'" – Erich Fromm

"In the absence of love, there is nothing worth fighting for." – Elijah Wood

A/N: So many questions! I feel so special… any way. Here are some answers:

LittleCrazy1: Yes the silver quill has to do with Ravenclaw, and Babblesworth did indeed destroy the Horcruxes that he found, Harry has his doubts about his species but won't formally figure out he's a Pagan for awhile, Harry can read the language in the book, I had to have Cassie leave somehow and the way I had when I first wrote it made her leaving much more abruptly, you will find out why Charlie is having dreams about a vampire… eventually. And thank you for reviewing.

DontLetMeGetME: Brom is an artist that I am in love with. You can check out his art on Google images, he's amazing, Harry will not met his parents or his sibling for a couple chapters be patient, thank you for loving how well I write and thank you for reviewing. (It's the prophecy of the Lost One, for clarification)

Blacklady: Ron and Hermione are going to take forever… sorry. I'm just writing their first kiss now and it is definitely about eleven chapters away… thank you for reviewing and please don't hate me too much.

Chapter Fifteen

Harry sat on the edge of Ginny's bed looking down at her while she slept. She rolled over groped the side of the bed Harry usually laid on. Her eyes opened and she looked up at Harry.

"Hey, babe." She mumbled tiredly kissing him. "Lie down, stay awhile." She said pulling him into her bed.

"How are you feeling?" Harry asked her.

"Brilliant now that you're here. What took you so long?" Ginny asked kissing Harry's chin.

"Just had to look like I was going to bed for Hermione. She's been watching me more lately. It's rather annoying." Harry said.

"Do you think she suspects us?" Ginny asked laying her head on Harry's chest.

"I don't know. It's not like I've run up to her screaming, 'I just snogged, Ginny and it was great!'" Harry said, Ginny giggled.

"Well, she's not stupid. We'll have to watch out for her." Ginny said kissing Harry's throat.

"I think she has enough on her mind and should not be worrying about us for quite a while." Harry said, Ginny looked up at him from where she had been nuzzling his chest.

"What are you talking about?"

"I think that her attention will be diverted from us to your brother." Harry said enjoying the look of horror on her face.

"Ewww, Ron?"

"Oh yes, Ron."

"Poor Hermione." Ginny said playing with Harry's shirt and "accidentally" opening a few of his buttons.

"I'll have you know your brother can be a fine chap when he's not being a too proud moron." Harry said.

"Well, if you like him so much why don't you date him?"

"I do like red heads." Harry said looking at Ginny with a grin on his lips.

"Harry!" Ginny squealed quietly, and Harry just laughed and pulled her underneath him.

-----

Harry sat between Hermione and Ron that morning at breakfast. He had a permanent grin on his face, because of the looks Hermione and Ron were giving each other and the memory of last night with Ginny. 

Neville was sitting across from Harry and looked confused at the look of glee on Harry's face.

"OY, Harry, what're you smiling about?" Neville asked looking around for what might be making Harry laugh.

"Oh, nothing, I'm just feeling rather giddy today. I had a good night. A very good night." Harry said looking down the table at Ginny. Luckily nobody around was smart enough or aware enough to notice who Harry was looking at.

"What happened last night?" Hermione asked looking away from Ron.

"I had that talk with Babblesworth." Harry said, not caring that Neville was listening and that he was lying to his friends about what really happened last night. 'But,' Harry thought in his own defense, 'if Ron knew what really happened last night or the night before that for that matter, I'd be dead.' Harry smiled at the thought of the past few nights.

"So, it was a good talk?" Ron asked. "Else you wouldn't be smirking like that."

"Yeah, I learned a lot, I'll tell you guys about it later." Harry said still smiling like a fool.

"He must have given you some really good news." Hermione said.

"Yeah, I haven't seen you smile like this in a long time." Ron said.

"Very good night, exceptionally good night." Harry said again, glancing at Ginny again.

------

"So, what happened last night, Harry?" Ron asked after classes that day. Ginny was sitting next to Hermione on the couch and looked at Harry with wide eyes.

"I asked Babblesworth how he found out about the Horcruxes. He said he knew old Voldy's dad. It turns out Thomas Riddle senior was a Pagan." Harry said casually. Ginny visually relaxed.

"But that's impossible. Voldemort's human." Hermione said.

"That's what I said, but it turns out he's half-Pagan, because his mum didn't turn into a Pagan when she got pregnant with Voldemort. Turns out Riddle senior and Babblesworth got on well, and one night Riddle broke down and told Babblesworth everything. Somehow he found out about what Voldemort was doing to keep himself alive, and set out to destroy the Horcruxes. He said that he destroyed the locket, a cup, and a silver quill." Harry said.

"That means that there's only one left right?" Hermione asked.

"Actually two, Voldemort himself is a Horcrux." Harry said.

"Did Babblesworth tell you what the last one is?" Ron asked.

"No, I didn't ask. I will at our next meeting though." Harry said.

-----

Harry was walking down the hall to the Head's Dormitories when he felt himself being pulled into an empty classroom. He turned around and saw the petite frame of one Ginny Weasley. He grinned at her and then pulled her into his arms pressing his lips against hers. She pushed him away.

"Harry, we need to talk." Ginny said.

"Bad omens, very bad omens." Harry mumbled, feeling his chest tighten.

"What're you talking about, 'bad omens,'?" Ginny asked crossing her arms.

"Usually when someone says 'we need to talk' to someone they're seeing it means that the relationship is over." Harry said. "Not to say that I don't deserve it, after how badly I broke up with you last year. But I'd like to know why, at least."

"Harry, I'm not breaking up with you." Ginny said wrapping her arms around Harry's middle.

"Oh, good." Harry said picking her up and kissing her deeply. He walked her over to a desk and put her on top of it. They kissed for a while before Ginny pushed Harry away again. "Baby…" Harry whined trying to place his lips back onto hers.

"Just because I'm not breaking up with you, doesn't mean that I don't need to talk to you." Ginny said.

"Fine, talk." Harry said and then he began nibbling her neck.

"I think that we need to be a little bit more discreet about our relationship if we are going to keep it a secret." Ginny said. "We weren't exactly discreet today." She moaned slightly as Harry sucked on the base of her thoat. Harry looked up at her smiling broadly.

"I agree." Harry said absently waving his hand at the door, which made the unmistakable sound of locking. He returned to her neck, sucking all the more attentively.

-----

Cassandra and Annabella walked silently through the Mists back to the Burrow. Annabella was no longer dressed in the outfit she was buried in, she looked remarkably normal, if you did not know better.

"Why are you bringing me here, Cassandra?" Annabella asked, again.

"I told you why." Cassandra said.

"There just dreams, Cassie, all you're doing is getting his and my hopes up. Probably over nothing." Annabella said.

"You won't know until you see."

"I don't need my heartbroken again, Cassie, I really don't."

"And no one knows that more then me. I wouldn't bring you here to meet a man if I didn't believe that he was the one you are looking for. And if I'm wrong, which I'm not saying I am, there's no harm done. Just look, then you can leave if you wish." Cassandra broke through the Mists and walked up to the front door, with Annabella close behind. Cassandra knocked on the door once before it was thrown open. Bill stood in the doorway looking at Cassandra wide eyed. "Hello, Bill, how-…" Bill cut her off with a long hard kiss.

"No wonder she was in such a rush to get back." Annabella said mostly to herself.

"William Weasley!" A voice screeched from the kitchen. Molly came out with her hands on her hips looking at her still snogging son. Bill pulled his lips from Cassandra's but still held her close. "What have I told you about letting the girl breath?" Molly scolded.

"Actually, the Dien can go without breathing for months." Annabella said.

"Oh, where are my manners? Who is your friend, Cassie?" Molly asked Cassandra.

"This is my sister, Annabella." Cassandra said to Molly. "And Anna, these are Molly, Bill, and Charlie Weasley." Cassandra said introducing Annabella to everyone in the room. Charlie was standing at the entrance to the kitchen. He was just staring at Annabella, the woman from his dreams. Everyone said 'hello' to Annabella except Charlie who just waved and looked away from her.

"I am assuming that Charlie is short for Charles." Annabella said standing right in front of Charlie. He looked up and saw that the room had emptied except for the two of them.

"Yes." He whispered, not looking into her eyes, though he longed to.

"Then why don't you look me in eyes, Charles?" Annabella asked. Charlie looked up and said:

"You can just call me Charlie. Everyone else does."

"All right, Charlie." Annabella said. The two stood in an awkward silence for a moment. "Cassandra told me that you've been having dreams of my memories."

"Yeah, it's weird." Charlie said trying to tap into his Gryffindor bravery and continue looking into Annabella's beautiful eyes.

"It's not weird exactly. Well, I guess it'd be weird to a human, seeing as you probably don't even know what an Elder is." Annabella said, fiddling with her hair.

"Well, why don't you tell me what an Elder is?" Charlie said stuffing his hand in his pockets.

"Elders are very old Pagans that throughout their lives have acquired a vast amount of power and knowledge." She explained.

"Oh, well…"

"Right after my husband and daughter died, I went to the Elder Lyddia. She told me that I would have my husband back. She said that I would know it was him because he would have the memories that Dag and I shared." Annabella said. Charlie let this sink in.

"So, you're saying that I'm the reincarnation of your late husband." Charlie said.

"Yes." Annabella confirmed and Charlie nodded.

"This is weird." He said as he sat down. Annabella stood still with her back to Charlie. "What does it mean? Exactly?"

"It means exactly what it sounds like it means." Annabella said sharply.

"I just… I don't how to respond to this." Charlie said standing up again. "I've been having dreams about you for a year now. But I never thought that I'd ever meet you. This is all just sudden, you know."

"I have waited for nearly three thousand years for my husband to return to me. And he just happens to be inside of you, so don't know what to do either." Annabella said turning to face Charlie.

"Well, what would you do if I were a Pagan?" Charlie asked.

"I would say, 'I love you,' you would say, 'I love you too,' and then we'd go and have sex."

"Okay…" Charlie said.

"Look, Charlie, we can take this as slow or as fast as you want. But my Dag is in there," Annabella said pocking Charlie in the chest, "and I want him back." Charlie wrapped his hand around hers. Charlie thought for a moment and then said:

"Okay." Charlie pulled Annabella close to him and kissed her. 


	16. Chapter 16

Mark: I'm okay with being unimpressive, I sleep better.

Gideon: And besides that Mrs. Lincoln, how was the show? --- Both quotes from Garden State, the movie

A/N: Instead of just saying that it's a new month every new Speciology class I am going to inform you of each new month. See much easier to follow! I'm so smart and nice! And modest really modest!

Disclaimer: I know it's a little late but here goes. Nothing but unrecognizable characters, plot, and some places are mine.

Chapter Sixteen

September

"The Dien are extraordinary." Juarbe said walking out of his office. The class knew to shut up when he started talking. Too many of them had already gotten detentions for talking out of turn. "They are quite possibly my favorite species aside from my own, of course. Can anyone tell me one of the many reasons the Dien are so extraordinary?" Hermione's hand went up. He nodded at her and sat down behind his desk.

"The Dien are immortal and ageless like most Pagan species. But the Dien have an amazing ability to heal anything. They can't get diseases of any kind. And what I found most interesting is that their blood is toxic to all other species, except Dien Vampires." Hermione said.

"Correct ten points to Gryffindor. The Dien are in fact completely toxic, everything inside of them is poisonous. Skin, nails, hair, everything on them and in them. So, the moral of this story kiddies is don't eat one." Juarbe said, the class smiled and a few students gagged. "The reason the Dien are so completely toxic is because of their Heptight Gland." Joshua stood up and walked over to Nathan Swanson, who stood up and turned his back to the class. "On a fully grown Dien the Heptight Gland will extend down the entire back bone." Juarbe pointed down Nathan's back bone. "The upper half of the gland is devoted to sending a hormone to the brain to deaden the pain receptors." Juarbe indicated the top half of the gland and made a point of pocking Nathan in the back of the head. "While the bottom half sends a completely different hormone into the blood stream. The hormone travels to the problem area and corrects it." Juarbe indicated the bottom half of the gland. Hermione raised her hand again. Juarbe nodded at her and went back to his seat.

"If all that is true, then how do the Dien die?" Hermione asked.

"Were going to get to that in a later lesson, but I'll give you a brief explanation. The Dien can live weeks without water, months without breathing, and years without eating. In fact there are only three necessities for a Dien to survive: Water, their head, and their heart. While a Dien can re-grow its heart and it's head, that takes an awful lot of energy to do and only the very very old Dien can do it. The way most Dien die is by dehydration, but that death is usually one that the Dien submitted to or did itself. We'll get more into that later though."

-----

"Mister Potter," Jon Smeth asked the retreating form of Harry Potter at the end of class. Harry turned back to Professor Smeth. "Could we have a chat?" Harry walked up to Jon.

"What is it, Professor?" Harry asked.

"Doctor Babblesworth would like to see you tomorrow night same place same time, are you free?" Jon asked pulling out one of the throwing daggers that that Harry had left embedded in the wall.

"Yeah, I'm all clear."

"Good." Jon said smiling at Harry.

"Is that all, Professor?" Harry asked.

"You're very gifted at physical defense." Jon said pulling two swords off of the wall.

"Well, I have a good teacher." Harry said wondering what Jon was going to do with the swords. Jon laughed a little bit.

"Being able with all weapons is an inborn gift, Harry, it can't be taught. And you have that gift." Jon said handing one of the swords to Harry. Harry grasped the hilt and dropped his bag to hold the heavy sword with both hands.

"Thanks, Professor." Harry said absently looking over the sword in great detail.

"Harry, I want you to take to take private lessons with me everyday after dinner." Jon said, repeating what James instructed him to say.

"All right, Professor."

"Starting tonight." Jon took the sword out of Harry's hands. Harry nodded and picked up his bag again and walking out the door.

"What's the matter, Harry?" Hermione asked noticing the odd expression on Harry's face.

"Nothing." Harry said. But the truth was that when Harry felt the weight of that sword in his hands it brought out a part of him that he did not understand. A part that was devoutly Pagan. The feel of the sword in his hands felt natural, calming, like he had lived his life without an arm and then suddenly it was there again.

-----

Harry went through that day thinking about his lesson with Jon. He rushed dinner and left Ron and Hermione without a word. He walked quickly up to Jon's classroom. 

He walked in and saw his sword lying on the matted ground. He picked it up again and looked at the etchings on the steel surface. He recognized the language immediately. The ancient Pagan language. Written on blade were the words, 'The steel of kings long dead, never meant for idle hands, this is the steel of your ancestors, kings long dead.'

Harry read the inscription over and over again. He was so deep in thought that he did not notice Jon walking into the room and take his own sword off the wall.

"I see you've found your sword." Jon said. Harry stood up and looked at Jon.

"It's your sword, not mine." Harry said staring at the sword wishing it was his to keep.

"Actually, that was your father's sword." Jon said, Harry look up at Jon. "He left it to me to give to you when the time was right, and I think it is, so keep it with you, Harry. You never know when you might need it." Jon said ominously.

"Professor?" Harry said.

"Yes, Harry."

"All of the Pagan professors have been making these ominous comments about how our wands are obsolete. That'd only be true if there was a chance that we're going to be attacked by Pagans. What's the matter? Why do we have all of these new classes? Why are you Pagans here?" Harry asked all of the questions that had been plaguing all of the student's minds since the start of term.

"Harry, something very bad is happening in the Pagan World and our intelligence is leading us to believe that your Lord Voldemort has sided with our Atu. If that is true then we are all in danger, great danger. Voldemort apparently has a bone to pick with you, and if he has sided with Atu he's probably even more Pagan then he already was. Therefore your wand is obsolete." Jon said.

"Who's Atu? Babblesworth mentioned her but I didn't want to interrupt him."

"A very bad Pagan vampire that wants to use the very thing that keeps existence existing to destroy everything. She did just that once before and nearly destroyed everything. She's just come back recently and somehow got in contact with Voldemort." Jon explained.

"But you're not sure that she got in contact with Voldemort?" Harry asked hopefully.

"Harry, I wouldn't tell you if I wasn't sure… Now let's begin the lesson."

------

"Harry!" Hermione yelled when Harry walked through the portrait hole into the Common Room. "Where have you been?" Hermione asked with her hands on her hips. Harry raised his eye brows at her.

"I was at a lesson with Professor Smeth." Harry said sitting on a chair near the fire. Ron was sitting on couch near him and Hermione sat down next to Ron.

"You could have told us, Harry. You can't just disappear like that. We were worried." Hermione said looking at Harry with great disapproval.

"Hermione," Harry said, "I'm seventeen years old, I'm not baby who can't take care of himself."

"Yeah, Hermione, even when Harry was a baby he could take care of himself." Ron said. Hermione looked surprised at Ron.

"Ronald, you agreed with me not five minutes ago. You said, and I quote, 'You're right, Hermione, Harry should tell his friends where he's going so that they won't worry.' Then you hugged me, I remember it, even if you don't." Hermione said crossly. Harry looked at Ron, who smiled and shrugged.

The portrait hole swung open and five happy Pagans filed in. Sirius walked straight over to Harry and squeezed onto the chair Harry was sitting on. Nakita rolled her eyes and sat next to Hermione. Remus walked up to Sirius and tried to pull him away from Harry, while Prince James and Nathan sat in front of the fire. James pulled out a magazine and started reading. Remus gave up on Sirius and turned to the other Pagans.

"What are you up to, Juarez?" Remus asked James.

"Page three." James said.

"What is this rubbish?" Nathan asked reading over James' shoulder. James looked at the front of the magazine.

"Witch Weekly, now if you don't mind I was reading a very interesting article and I can't read with you breathing down my neck." James said.

"What article are you reading?" Harry asked batting Sirius' hands away from his hair.

"It's a compare and contrast article on how Harry Potter's bum looks better in Muggle clothes then it does in the school robes. And how just for this reason there should be no dress code at Hogwarts so that Harry Potter's bum looks good all the time. At least that's what a Romilda Vane thinks." James said, Harry groaned, and Ron laughed. 


	17. Chapter 17

Andrew: Let's just talk about good stuff. Sam: Good stuff? Andrew Largeman: Yeah. Glass half full shit. What do you got? Sam: I got a little buzz. I got that. laughs Sam: What you got? Andrew Largeman: I got a little buzz going pauses Andrew Largeman: and I like you. Sam, embarrassed, giggles Andrew Largeman: So there's that. I guess I have that. Sam: I can tap-dance. You wanna see me tap-dance? Andrew Largeman: I would love to see you tap-dance.

Chapter Seventeen

Later in September

Ginny sat straight up in bed. She was breathing heavily and looked frantically around for Harry. Harry heard Ginny moving around in bed and got out of the window near her bed to see what the matter was. Harry opened the hangings and looked concerned at Ginny.

Ginny grabbed onto Harry the second she saw him. Harry climbed into bed next to her and held her as close as she wanted him. He stroked her hair soothingly and whispered softly to her about how it would be alright.

"But Harry it was so scary." Ginny said into Harry's chest still sounding a little frantic.

"What happened that was so scary?" Harry asked supportively, he knew how bad some nightmares could be.

"It felt like someone was ripping parts of me away and using those parts to do terrible things. And I could see what the parts of me were doing and I couldn't stop it. I couldn't wake up. And then I started to destroy parts of myself to stop who ever was making me do the terrible things from ever making me do them again. It hurt, Harry, it hurt really badly." Ginny said. She began to shake at the memory of the pain she had felt and then she choked out a sob. Harry held her tighter. He did not know what else to do.

----

Harry was picking up the art of swordsmanship quicker then Jon had expected. Harry practiced with his sword when ever he was alone. He often practiced with his pipe in his mouth, he looked a sight.

Harry was swinging around his sword in his Head Dorm Room, when he heard a knock at the door. Harry put his sword in it's a sheath and walked over to the door. As Harry reached the door it pushed open.

"Harry!" Ginny said exasperatedly walking into Harry's room. Harry closed the door and rubbed his forehead where the door had hit it. Ginny turned back to him and walked into his open arms.

"What's the matter, Ginny?" Harry asked rubbing Ginny's back.

"I was just sitting day dreaming and all of the sudden the dream I had last night started again. It's like something inside of me is trying to tell me something. And what its saying is bad." Ginny said. Harry hugged Ginny tighter.

"Its okay, Ginny. There's nothing inside of you besides what's supposed to there." Harry said. But as the words came out of Harry's mouth he almost knew that they were not true. He did not know for sure but something about them did not sound completely correct.

"But, Harry, it's so scary!" Ginny sobbed into Harry's chest. "I only feel safe when I'm with you." Ginny looked up at Harry. Harry looked a little confused and very worried.

"I have a meeting at eight." Harry admitted, Ginny shook her head and started crying harder. "But why don't you stay here. It won't take more then an hour, I swear." Harry wrapped his arms around her again, letting her cling to him and soak his shirt with her tears. Harry walked her over to his bed and lay her down. He lay next to her and cradled her in his arms. "You just stay awake and read a book or something until I get back. Keep your mind occupied, see if that helps, okay?" Harry asked kissing the tears from Ginny's eyes. Ginny nodded.

"Do you have a book?" She asked. Harry nodded and went to his trunk and pulled out a Quidditch magazine. He handed it to her and smiled, when she laughed. "This isn't what I was expecting when I said book."

"I've got plenty more in my trunk if you flip through that one too fast." Harry said glad that she had stopped crying. Harry checked his watch and cringed. "I have to go, Ginny-baby." Harry said looking at Ginny snuffling on his bed, she just nodded and opened the magazine. Harry opened the door to his room.

"Where is the meeting being held?" Ginny asked suddenly.

"Professor Koss' classroom, feel free to come anytime you need me." Harry said, Ginny nodded and smiled.

"Thank you, Harry. You're the best boyfriend I've ever had." Ginny said honestly, she did not know if Dean or Michael would have believed her about her dreams. Harry smiled and walked back over to her and kissed her lightly on the lips.

"Not a problem, babe. Now you catch up on your reading and I'll be back in an hour." Harry said walking out of his room.

------

"A little late, Mister Potter." Professor Koss observed as Harry walked into his room.

"Sorry, my girlfriend has been having nightmares and I wanted to comfort her." Harry said walking towards Doctor Babblesworth and his wife.

"And good that you did!" Babblesworth said standing up. "It's always good to comfort your lady friend, because she will remember it. And you don't want to go down in her memory as a bad companion, do you?" Harry just shook his head and sat down. "No of course not, because you are a good gentleman, aren't you, Harry?"

"I'd like to think so." Harry said.

"Is your girlfriend human?" Doctor Regina Babblesworth asked she was sitting next to Randal.

"As far as I know she is." Harry said, smiling at the question.

"I had relations with a human once." Doctor Randal Babblesworth said. "It was a very long time ago. Before I met Regina, mind you. It went oddly slow for my taste. Do you find that to be true, Harry?"

"I wouldn't really know of any other pace to go at than the one we are going at." Harry said.

"Of course, of course. But I was talking to the Emperor of Tunisia the other night, we had dinner together, it was quite lovely, the roasted carrots were divine, he said that his bound companion was a human and that she went very slow in his opinion. She was sitting right next to him and poor chap, she didn't look too happy, until he started laughing like it was joke."

"She still didn't look too happy." Regina said.

"Anyway, do you have any questions, Harry?" Migdigus said eager to get off the current topic.

"Oh, yeah. Do you know what the other Horcruxes are?" Harry asked.

"Of course I do. There's a notebook, two rings and him." Babblesworth said.

"Dumbledore destroyed one of the rings and I destroyed the notebook." Harry said.

"Brilliant only one left and that half breed is killable again." Babblesworth said with obvious signs of disgust.

"Do you know what the ring looks like or where it is?" Harry asked eagerly.

"Oh I daresay I do. I just haven't gotten around to getting it. You see I thought there were still two others that I needed to get. It's in a house in London. It's the wedding ring of some human he killed, named James Potter." Babblesworth stopped talking instantly when he realized what he had said. "Oh dear, James…… Potter." Harry was confused, why would Voldemort do that? Place a part of his soul in his father's wedding ring.

"How do you know it's my father's ring?" Harry asked, he had to be sure.

"Well, Harry the inscription said, 'to my love, James Potter, yours always Lily Potter.'" Babblesworth said.

"So you've seen the ring?" Harry asked.

"Oh yes."

"Why didn't you destroy it then?"

"Well, because your father was wearing it and that seemed a little rude, but then again that was before Voldemort got his hands on it. I found out after he died that Voldemort had placed a part of his soul in it."

"You knew them?"

"Knew them, I had dinner with them just last-……"

"Harry!" Migdigus yelled.

"Yes, Professor?" Harry asked.

"It's getting late, why don't you get back to your girlfriend?" Migdigus suggested. Harry looked at his watch, it had just turned nine.

"Shit, I told her I'd be back by nine." Harry said getting up. "We'll finish this some other time."

"Of course." Randal said.

"It was a pleasure." Regina said.

"Good night." Harry said running out of the classroom.

"That's one lucky girl. She snagged a prince without realizing it." Regina said, Randal nodded.

------

"Harry James Potter." Hermione said when Harry ran into the Heads Common Room. Harry stopped and looked at her. Ginny was standing next to her. Ginny's eyes were red from crying.

"Baby." Harry said walking towards Ginny. He pulled her into his arms and she broke down again. "It's okay, it's okay." Harry said over and over again. Harry turned her head up to his and he kissed her lips softly and wiped away her tears. He did not care that Hermione was standing right next to them. "What happened?" Harry asked Hermione.

"You're asking me what happened?" Hermione asked. "How did this happen? When did you start dating again?"

"We started seeing each other again when you and Ron pressured me to go talk to her. Why are you asking me? Didn't Ginny tell you?" Harry asked.

"She couldn't she was crying too hard." Hermione said.

"Oh baby, I'm sorry I wasn't here." Harry said hugging Ginny tighter to him. "Did it happen again?" Ginny nodded into Harry's chest.

"Did what happen again?" Hermione asked.

"She's been having really bad dream. There scaring her, is all." Harry said.

"Oh, Harry, I think that 'scaring her' is a bit of an understatement. Look at her, she's a mess." Hermione said rubbing Ginny's back supportively.

"Don't call my girlfriend a mess, Hermione." Harry said.

"I think you should talk to a councilor about this, Ginny."

"Hogwarts doesn't have student councilors." Harry said. "It has Head Students that are supposed to do that."

"Then I don't know what we should do. There just dreams right?"

"But what if there not?" Ginny asked sniffling.

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked.

"I wasn't asleep when the last one happened, or the one before that. Dreaming means that you're asleep." Ginny said. Harry rubbed Ginny's shoulders and kissed her neck. Hermione sat down on a couch and rubbed her eyes.

"I need help." Hermione said standing back up. "I'm going to go get Ron. You two stay here." She walked to the door.

"Hermione, you can't tell him about us." Harry said. Hermione turned around.

"Why not?"

"We're keeping our relationship a secret so that Voldemort doesn't have a reason to hurt Ginny to get to me." Harry explained.

"Fine, I won't tell him." Hermione said walking out of the Heads Common Room.

"You think she will anyway?" Ginny asked turning to Harry.

"I don't know. But that's not what matters right now. How do you feel?" Harry asked cupping Ginny's cheeks.

"I was so scared and I didn't want to interrupt your meeting. I heard Hermione come in and I didn't know what to do, so I went to her. I was so scared." Ginny asked as tears of fear dripped down her face. Harry wiped them away and kissed her again.

"I told you that it was okay to interrupt my meeting, Ginny. Right now all that matters to me is you." Harry said. Ginny smiled at Harry, leaned in and kissed him.

"Hermione, what's the password!" Harry and Ginny heard Ron yell.

"Ronald don't you remember, we didn't change it." They heard Hermione say irritably.

"Hermione, I can't be dilly dallying around here! That's my baby sister in there and she's scared! What's the bloody password?" Ginny laughed and cuddled deeper into Harry's arms.

"Its 'Lortus' Ronald weren't you listening!" Hermione yelled back at Ron. She turned to the fat horned witch and said clearly, "Lortus." The witch jumped out of the way and Ron pushed Hermione out of the way to open the door. To Hermione's disappointment Harry was leaning against the arm of the couch and Ginny was walking into her brother's arms. Harry raised his eyebrows at Hermione, who scowled at him, while she closed the door behind Ron.

"What's the matter, Ginny?" Ron asked.

"Didn't Hermione tell you?" Ginny asked pulling away from Ron.

"No, she said you were scared about something in the Heads Dormitories and I came. So, why are you scared?" Ron asked. Ginny explained about her dreams and how they are happening when she's awake. Ron just stared at her with his mouth hanging open.

"Look, Ronald, I didn't know what to do, so I got you." Hermione said once Ginny was finished.

"So you got me? Like I know what the bloody hell to do about it. Do I ever know what to do about anything?" Ron asked, turning on Hermione who still by the door.

"Okay, I have an idea." Harry said before Ron and Hermione started rowing. "Why don't wait to see if the dreams get any worse or the episodes in middle of the day get any more frequent before we start freaking out. At least we all know now, so that Ginny can come to any of us if she's scared." Harry said. Ron nodded and so did Hermione. "Are you okay with that, Ginny?" Harry asked looking concerned at her. Ron and Hermione looked at her too.

"I don't see what else we can do." Ginny said, sitting down on the couch. 


	18. Chapter 18

Danielle: (thinking of her love of the prince) A bird may love a fish, signore, but where will they live? Leonardo da Vinci: Then I shall have to make you wings. --- From Ever After, movie

Chapter Eighteen

November

Ginny tried her best to stay awake in Harry's arms, but his rhythmic breathing and fingers through her hair were her down fall and soon she was fast asleep in his warm embrace.

She felt loose, airy. She felt like she was the wind. It felt good. She felt safe and loved by the beautiful red haired Pagan in front of her. The female Dien smiled and beckoned Ginny to follow. Ginny gladly followed the Dien. Ginny knew that this Dien would take care of her. Would put her somewhere where she would be safe forever.

They approached a small stone cottage and as they walked towards the wooden door it opened. Another red haired female stood there but this time the redhead was human. The Dien turned to Ginny and spoke in a strange language that somehow Ginny understood.

"You have to go inside of this human now. You'll be safe there. No one will think to look there. Go on now." The Dien said showing Ginny the human girl. Ginny was not sure. Hiding inside of a human did not sound like a very good idea. What if the human died? "You will go on though her children and her children's children, keeping her blood line safe." The Dien said. "And in turn her blood line will keep you safe."

Ginny flew around the human. Looking, checking. Safe was something she wanted desperately. Safe again would be nice. And the pretty Dien would not lie to her. So, Ginny faded into the red haired girl's chest and sat comfortably inside of her body.

One day the girl became pregnant and Ginny knew that it was time to leave the girl's body and venture into the body of her daughter.

And so it went on like that. Ginny moved from the body of the daughters of that red haired girl.

Until one day that Ginny was sure she was inside the body of her mother and was moving inside the body of herself.

'That's not right.' Ginny thought. And with that thought she woke up, still curled close to Harry's body. Her dream had felt like it had gone on for years, but she had not been asleep for more than five minutes. She leaned up on her elbows and Harry looked at her.

"Are you alright, Ginny?" Harry asked concerned.

"I'm fine. Weird dream, very weird dream." Ginny said.

"What happened?" Harry asked. Ginny retold her dream to him and he looked at confused at she did. "That is weird." Harry said.

"I'm not tired anymore." Ginny said laying back down. She looked at Harry, who was looking at her.

"What?" Harry asked.

"Do you want to snog?" She asked with a devilish grin on her face. Harry just smiled. Needless to say, Ginny took that as a yes.

-------

"Harry, are you coming?" Ron asked. They were sitting in the Common Room on Saturday.

"Where are you going?" Harry asked back.

"Hogsmeade, where else would we be going on a Hogsmeade Saturday?" Hermione asked. She looked a little dolled up. She glanced at Ron to see if he noticed, the twinge of red in his cheeks told her that he had.

"Nah, I have some homework I need to be catching up on. You two go ahead and have fun together." Harry said putting a special emphasis on 'together.'

"Alright, I'll bring you back some candy. Come on, Hermione." Ron said pretending he had not heard Harry's infliction and exited the Common Room with Hermione right behind him.

"When do you think they'll just snog and get it over with?" Ginny asked sitting down next to Harry.

"Not soon enough I'm afraid." Harry said. "Let's go to the Heads Common Room, for some privacy." Harry suggested, Ginny blushed and nodded. They got up together and walked quietly to the Heads Dormitories. They sat back down on a couch in the quiet room.

"So, Harry." Ginny said breaking the silence.

"So, Ginny." Harry said smiling at her.

"What's the real reason you didn't want to go to Hogsmeade?" Ginny asked scooting close to him.

"I knew that I'd have terrible time there if I didn't get to spend it with my gloriously wonderfully beautifully intelligent girlfriend." Harry said kissing Ginny's nose lightly.

"You just kissed a lot of ass in that sentence, Potter."

"Oh dear me, did I not mention how gloriously wonderfully beautiful my girlfriend's ass is? It's spectacular. I'd really like a photo of it." Harry said jokingly.

"Watch it, Potter." Ginny warned.

"Oh but I do. Whenever you bend over and I'm in the room, it's hard to keep my hands off of you." Harry said smiling while Ginny was gaping at him.

"Harry!" Ginny exclaimed.

"What?" Harry asked innocently.

"Don't talk about my bum like that." Ginny said blushing.

"Oh, but what is this? Ms. Weasley are you blushing because I spoke so highly of your amazing bum?" Harry asked.

"If you're going to be naughty then I'm leaving." Ginny warned.

"You act like you don't like it." Harry said smiling. "You liked it well enough last night when I was touching your bum."

"That's different, Harry." Ginny said still blushing.

"How so? Last night complimented you with my hands and today I compliment you with my word. I don't see the difference."

"You're embarrassing me."

"In front of who? Me, and I'm the only one that has to hear about your fantastic behind, so don't be embarrassed about it."

"But-…"

"Ginny, stop talking." Harry said pulling her onto his lap.

-----

Harry and Ginny were lying on the couch when Hermione came running in. She walked straight over to them and pocked Harry's back to get his attention. Harry looked up at Hermione a little more than irritated.

"Yes, Hermione." Harry said.

"I kissed Ron's cheek." Hermione said pacing in front of the couple on the couch.

"You've done that before." Harry pointed out.

"Yes, but he's never done it back." Hermione said. She stopped pacing and looked at Harry with wide eyes. Harry ran his hand through his hair.

"He kissed you back?" Ginny asked. Hermione nodded. "Well, did you snog him?" Harry started laughing.

"No!" Hermione said sounding more irritated than shocked at Ginny's question.

"And why not?" Harry asked, shifting his weight on top of Ginny.

"Because Neville picked that exact moment to say 'hi.' And then he decided to spend the rest of the day with us. So, I didn't get my proper kiss and I had to listen to Neville talk about his frog for the rest of the trip." Hermione said. "And Ronald didn't look too happy either. Perhaps you should go talk to him, Harry."

"I'm a little busy here, Hermione. I'll talk to him later." Harry said turning back to Ginny.

"Harry Potter, you'll go now." Ginny said sternly.

-----

Harry walked into the Gryffindor Common Room and found Ron up in his dorm room.

"Ron, what are you doing?" Harry asked.

"Packing." Ron said.

"Why?"

"Because after what just happened I can't ever look at her again."

"Why?"

"Because I kissed her, Harry, she's probably furious with me."

"You got that right." Harry said Ron looked at Harry with wide eyes.

"She is?"

"Furious that she didn't get a proper kiss from you, that is. Neville interrupted you I hear. She's furious with him more then with you." Harry said pulling the clothes out of Ron's truck and throwing them back on the floor where they belonged.

"I was going to do it, Harry. I was going to snog her, but…" Ron sat down on his bed looking beat.

"Neville got in the way, I know she told me." Harry said standing at the foot of Ron's bed.

"What do I do now?" Ron asked.

"She's in the Heads Dormitories go finish what you started." Harry said, Ron looked up at Harry mortified.

"Harry, you must have lost your mind."

"And why is that?"

"I can't finish what I started, what you were supposed to say was that I should act like nothing happened and hope that she forgets." Ron said.

"I wonder why I didn't say that." Harry said sarcastically.

"So do I." Ron said not picking up on the sarcasm.

"You do whatever you want, because there's no legal way that I can force you to do what's right. But just so you know if you act like nothing happened so will she and it will take twice as long for you two to get together. And I don't want to hear about anymore." Harry said leaving the dorm room.

-----

"What did he say?" Hermione demanded the second Harry appeared at the door to the Heads Rooms.

"That he's going to pretend that it never happened. What did you honestly think he was going to do? Come in here and snog you like I suggested? I don't think so." Harry said sitting down next to Ginny and putting his arm around her.

"Oh, I can't deal with this right now." Hermione said walking into her room. Harry sighed.

"My brother's an idiot." Ginny said, Harry gave a short laugh. 


	19. Chapter 19

"I love you still. That's the torment of it"  
--- Interview With the Vampire

Sex appeal is fifty percent what you've got and fifty percent what people think you've got. Sophia Loren

"You like me because I'm a scoundrel. There aren't enough scoundrels in your life." --Han to Leia "I happen to like nice men." --Leia "I'm a nice man." --Han "No, your not." --Leia

A/N: I took a quote for the Beatles "A Hard Days Night" the movie. If you haven't seen it, it's very funny, and highly recommended.

Dontletmegetme: No, Voldie is not possessing Ginny again, and thank you for your question.

Littlecrazy1: You will find out what is going on eventually. And no Voldie does not know about Harry and Ginny's relationship. Yes Babblesworth knows that Harry doesn't know that he's a Pagan, but remember Babblesworth lives up to his name, the guy babbles. He doesn't remember that he's no supposed to tell Harry, he's just talking. You will have to wait and see if Babblesworth and Harry destroy James' ring, I'm not going to tell you before it happens. Thank you so much for reviewing.

Chapter Nineteen

Later in October

"Fearies in this world are far different then those in my world." Juarbe said standing behind his desk. "A Fearie in my world is a hybrid of two Pagan species and a most often a bird of some sort. The two other Pagan species are Elves and Brownies. I don't think you know correctly what either are. Has anyone in here read up on the Pagan meaning of these two words?" Juarbe asked, Hermione was the only one in the room who raised her hand. "Of course you did Ms. Granger, fifty points to Gryffindor for reading a chapter you weren't told to. Now, will you please enlighten the rest of this lazy class as to what Pagans mean when they say Elf and Brownie?"

"Certainly, Professor." Hermione said, smiling at his praises. "An Elf in Pagan terms is a creature that has a tall and slender build, with pointed ears. They are immortal and ageless and have infinite knowledge. They are beautiful and kind. And they were the first species the Creators ever created. They planned to make a species of perfect creature." Hermione said. "That's all correct, isn't it, Professor?"

"Yes, very good, go on, Ms. Granger." Juarbe said lounging behind his desk.

"Well, Brownies are small creatures, on average they only grow to be about six inches tall. They can live to be at least a thousand. And they were created to be sort of toys for one of the Creators children. They keep to themselves and don't really bother with the wars of the 'big people' as they call us." Hermione said.

"Fantastic, Ms. Granger. For extra credit tonight I want a one page essay on how exactly the Creators managed to cross breed these three species."

-----

"I like to keep Britain tidy." Prince James said taking a piece of parchment from a first year girl, he wrote something on it, as he sat down by the fire in the Gryffindor Common Room.

"Give that back to her." Hermione said snatching the parchment from James. She read what he wrote, gasped and then blushed. James just grinned. Nathan walked up to James who was still grinning at Hermione who was a little more then shocked. Nathan looked over Hermione's shoulder and read what was written.

"What'd you call that, Juarez?" Nathan asked smiling.

"Arnold." James smirked at Hermione. Hermione finally came to her senses, crumpled up the parchment and threw it in the fire.

"Harry!" Hermione called walking towards the boys stairs.

"No, pretty girl, Arnold." James corrected Hermione, who just gave him an infuriated stare. Harry and Ron came down into the Common Room.

"Yea, Hermione?" Harry asked stopping in front of her, Ron would not meet her eyes.

"I think we should talk to Juarbe about the Pagan's bad behavior." Hermione said.

"What did they do?" Harry asked.

"He, not only stole a first years parchment but wrote vulgar things on it." Hermione said pointing at James who had turned around to see the show.

"What did he write?" Harry asked amused by the look on James face, which was a mix of shock and hilarity. Hermione leaned towards Harry, who leaned in, so did Ron. She whispered what James wrote. Ron turned bright red, Hermione looked shocked that she had said it, and Harry smiled. "Sounds like fun." Harry said enjoying the looks of horror on Ron and Hermione's faces.

"But, Harry-…" Hermione started.

"Look, it was harmless. I'd say we should suggest that he get the first year a new piece of parchment. It's the worst he did." Harry said shrugging.

"I agree with Arnold." James said smiling at Hermione, who looked too disgusted to speak.

"Who's Arnold?" Ron asked anyone.

"Him." James said pointing at Harry. "Pretty girl said his name was Harry, but she's wrong."

"My name is Hermione." Hermione said angrily at James.

"Hermione? You don't hear that name everyday, do you?" James said.

"Actually, I do." Hermione said shortly walking up the boy's stairs. James just smirked and got up. He walked up to a third year girl and smiled at her.

"Hi." She breathed.

"No, actually we're just good friends." James said pulling the parchment from her hands he walked away with it writing on it as he sat back down. Harry took the parchment from James' hands, read it, thought hard to make the writing vanish and handed it back to the girl. James watched Harry.

"You, stop doing that." Harry said pointing at James.

"That was a nice bit of Pagan magick, Harry. I'm impressed." James said smiling. Harry just shook his head and turned back to Ron, who was standing at the bottom of the stairs looking up at them.

"You walk up those, Ron." Harry said walking over the Ron.

"I know that, Harry." Ron snapped. "But she went up there."

"Yeah, she goes by Hermione these days." Harry said nodding.

"I can't go up there if she's up there." Ron said stubbornly.

"Well, if you don't can I?" James asked listening in. Ron turned on James.

"No." Ron said, he turned on his heals and walked straight up the stairs. Harry looked at James.

"You don't actually like her, do you?" Harry asked.

"No, actually we're just good friends." James said smiling.

"What?"

"I see the way he looks at her, Harry. I'm not stupid, I get it. I figured I'd hurry them along by flirting a bit with her, get him jealous. Hopefully he'll do something stupid like kiss her. She'll get the picture and take charge of the situation." James said.

"You got all of that by the way he looks at her?"

"Harry, just don't go up there for a while." James advised.

------

Ginny laced her fingers together over Harry's chest and leaned her chin on her hands looking up at him. He wiggled his eyebrows at her and she laughed.

"I have reason to believe that Ron and Hermione are snogging as we speak." Harry said wrapping his arms around her. They were lying on his bed in the Heads Rooms.

"Hmmm…… Good." Ginny said smiling. She sat up suddenly and straddled his hips. Harry put his hands on her thighs and looked up at her with a question in his eyes. "Let's not talk about them, okay? Because if we take into consideration the infinite stupidity that is my brother Ron, he probably just walked up to her said something along the lines of, 'er…um… Hermione… I mean you… look… not so… bad today,' and then walked away from her." Harry laughed at her near perfect impression of her brother as he ran his hand up and down her thighs.

"You're probably right. But I want to be optimistic about the situation." Harry said still smiling.

"Fine, but you admitted that I'm right, so I win." Ginny said putting her hands on either side of Harry's head and leaned over him.

"When don't you win?" Harry asked moving his hands onto her bum.

"I think I just won again." Ginny said wiggling her hips and kissing Harry's lips.

"Ginny, don't do that." Harry said breathing hard and moving Ginny of off his waist and higher onto his chest.

"Why not?" Ginny asked grinning devilishly.

"I think you know why not." Harry said shaking his head at her. She pouted.

"But I want to make you happy, the way you made me happy last night." Ginny said blushing slightly at the memory, for the first time and not the last time Ginny was very happy the Harry had caste a silencing charm on the curtains around her bed.

"That made me happy too, baby, you don't need to make me frustrated, which is all you'll do." Harry said.

"How do you know? Has anyone ever done that for you before?" Ginny asked crossing her arms over her chest.

"No." Harry admitted.

"Then shut up and let me do it." Ginny said scooting back down his body and wiggled yet again.

"Ginny…" Harry whined.

"Harry, stop talking." Ginny instructed.

------

"Harry!" Hermione yelled walking into the Heads Dormitories. She walked over to his door and knocked on it. It was a good few seconds before the impatient Hermione knocked again.

"Wha?" Harry asked opening the door to his room. His hair was messier then usual, his shirt was half open, and he looked flush.

"It's Ronald." Hermione said pointing at the door out of the dormitory.

"What'd he do?" Harry asked hoping that he had done what James suggested.

"He yelled at me for flirting with James." Hermione said she looked angry and rather sad. Harry made a sound of frustration and hung his head. Ginny snaked her arms around Harry's middle as soon as she exited the bathroom, to wash her hands and such. "Ginny?" Hermione asked noticing the arms around Harry. Ginny looked around Harry at Hermione, she looked as flushed as Harry.

"I'll go talk to Ron. Hopefully I can stop him before he does something we'll all regret." Harry said turning in Ginny's embrace to kiss her. Hermione grinned at Harry who ignored her.

"What did you guys do?" Harry heard Hermione asked as he left the Heads Rooms.

-----

"Ron, what is wrong with you?" Harry asked as he walked up to Ron's dormitory. "And what are you doing?"

"To answer your first question, I'm an idiot and your second I'm packing." Ron said throwing everything he could reach into his trunk.

"Ron." Harry said, he got no answer. "Ron." Still nothing. "Ron that shirt is Dean's. And those trousers are Seamus', and those trainers Neville's, and this is mine." Harry said grabbing the Quidditch robes out of Ron's hands. Ron did not listen and just kept packing. Harry pushed Ron onto his bed and started digging through Ron's trunk.

"What are you doing? I'm leaving, Harry, I fucked up big this time. She'll never forgive me for this." Ron said standing up again.

"I'm taking your roommates and my things out of your trunk so we don't get pissed at you once you're gone." Harry said pulling out the shirt, trousers, and trainers.

"You're going to let me leave?" Ron asked, he looked a little disappointed. Harry took a deep breath and blow it out before looking at Ron.

"Like you said, you fucked up. But it's your life and if you want to abandon the woman that you're madly in love with, who am I to stand your way?" Harry asked a very shocked Ron.

"'Madly in love with?'" Ron repeated.

"Indeed." Harry said nodding.

"Love?" Ron said thinking about it his mouth a gape.

"Yes, love."

"I love her." Ron said knitting his brow.

"Yes, you love Hermione. You loved her the second you saw her."

"Nah…" Ron said finally looking at Harry, who nodded. Ron fell back onto his bed. "But………"

"But you're leaving?" Harry finished for Ron. "I know I think she'll be a little upset about that."

"Leaving?" Ron said incredulously. "I'm leaving. Where would I go?" 

"Like that's the reason you're not going."

"It is the reason I'm not going." Ron said ignoring the look on Harry's face. "Now, where's Hermione I have to apologize to her."

"She's in the Heads Dormitories."

-----

"He did that?" Hermione asked blushing at what Ginny had just told her. They were sitting in Hermione's Head Room.

"Yes." Ginny said smiling fondly.

"What was it like?" Hermione asked scooting closer to Ginny.

"Well,-…" Ginny started when Ron opened the door.

"Hermione, I have to talk to you." Ron said standing in the door way.

"About what, Ronald?" Hermione asked looking cross.

"About how stupid I am, but you probably already know all about that." Ron said.

"Yes, I was just enlightening her to some of your more notorious moments as a bumbling fool." Ginny said sweetly.

"Shut it, Ginerva." Ron said using Ginny's full name. Ginny looked horrified at Harry who was standing right behind Ron.

"Ginerva is a very pretty name, Ron." Harry said innocently, Ginny smiled at Harry.

"Ronald, I think that what happened was just a misunderstanding, right?" Hermione said redirecting the conversation.

"Yes, a huge misunderstanding, I really don't want what happened last year to happen this year. You know?" Ron asked, looking unsure.

"I agree, Ronald, I don't want that to happen either, but you're not making it easy." Hermione said.

"Because he's a bumbling fool, we've been over this." Harry said. Ron punched Harry playfully in the arm. 


	20. Chapter 20

Love at first sight is easy to understand; it's when two people have been looking at each other for a lifetime that it becomes a miracle. Amy Bloom

Don'tLetMeGetMe: You're talking about Ron, right?

Chapter Twenty

November

"How is your girlfriend, Harry?" Babblesworth asked at their next meeting.

"She's good, still having nightmares though." Harry said.

"Oh, I bet you're worried about her, aren't you? The good boyfriends always think about their girls. I remember one time my girlfriend's father died. Oh dear me, she was devastated. I can't remember a time when I was with her that I wasn't worried about what she would do to herself to make the emotional pain stop." Babblesworth said.

"Not all people handle pain like that." Harry said.

"Of course not, her siblings handled it fine. All people are different, Harry. And I think that is the most important thing to learn through life. People are one way and they can never be made any other way. No matter what you do to them. Some people just aren't going to budge on their beliefs or can't budge on the way they just are. It is the greatest lesson of life." Babblesworth said. "But sadly only the wise people learn it." Harry thought a moment.

"Are you saying that Voldemort isn't wise?" Harry asked.

"Was that ever a question? Wisdom and knowledge are two very different things. You can read every book in the library and be knowledgeable but what does anything you just read help you when you walk out those library doors? Wisdom is something that you learn through living. And some people just focus too much on death to ever truly live. I have a question for you, Harry."

"What is it, Doctor?"

"If Voldemort wins or achieves his primary objective do you honestly think he'll ever be happy or content?" Babblesworth asked. Harry thought it over.

"No."

"People like him are never happy. For example, Hitler, after awhile of terrorizing the Jews he had to move on to other groups of people that didn't fit his ideals. The same will happen with Voldemort. He will never be sated. That is why it is imperative that you kill him." Babblesworth said, Harry looked a little shocked.

"I don't want to kill anyone." Harry said, Babblesworth leaned towards Harry.

"The world is in your hands, boy."

"What if I don't do it?"

"You've already made that choice, Harry, now you have to understand why. If you don't do it, then it doesn't get done, it's as simple as that. But heroes have plenty of chances to stop and go back. To ignore the problem and leave it for some else to handle, but the hero's people remember, the ones authors write epics about are the hero's that didn't go back. The ones that kept going. The ones that sacrificed everything for everyone else. Who gave their all and won no worshipers. The best hero's are the ones that looked back, but kept going. The path behind you is a group of events that you can not change. So, why dwell on them? Every adventure story you will ever hear has the hero in a moment of sadness give up and try to walk away. But the good ones never do." Babblesworth said.

"When did I ever say that I wanted to be a hero?" Harry asked staring at Babblesworth, who broke out in a smile.

"That girlfriend of yours, do you love her?" Babblesworth asked, Harry took his time answering.

"Yes." Harry finally said quietly.

"When the world is crumbling the only thing left that is worth fighting for… is love. Do what you want, Harry, but if you love her, she will be the reason you stop and look back, but keep going."

-----

Harry stood by the side of Ginny's bed watching her sleep that night and thought. He thought long and hard. Answering Babblesworth's question about if he loved her was easy. But he had hardly admitted it to himself and saying it to someone else seemed like a huge step.

The rational part of his brain was telling him he was too young, too inexperienced, it was too soon in the relationship to love her.

But the irrational part of his brain was winning by simply saying that none of that mattered, love is love.

Harry favored the irrational part of his brain. The irrational part was the part telling him that he and Ginny could actually keep their relationship a secret from Voldemort. Already two people had found out. But that did not matter. Nothing but being with her mattered.

And then Harry had that feeling again. That feeling that something bad was going to happen and that if he did not walk away at that exact moment he would be the only one able to resolve it.

The rational part of his brain piped in yet again. It told him to walk away from sleeping Ginny, to go somewhere no one would find him and let it all just happen.

But to Harry that seemed irrational.

First of all where could he go to where Voldemort would not find him?

And what about Ginny? She would be heart broken, and Harry could not let that happen. He had to be there for her. When that bad thing happened Harry had to be there. To protect her. To hold her close. 

To love her.

Ginny reached out in her sleep for Harry. Harry stood very still. This was the moment. This was when he understood the choice that he had already made. 

If he took her outstretched hand and lay down next to her he would be taking the responsibility of the world into his hands.

If he did not he would be condemning the world to nothingness, but at least he would not have to deal with it and no one could say it was his fault. There would be nothing and no one to do it.

For Harry the choice was clear. And when he grasped Ginny's hand and lay down next to her he understood completely Babblesworth's last words to him. Without her he would have nothing to fight for. Like he had said before she was his reason, she was the key to everything that he did.

Harry did not know it then but as he snuggled up next to Ginny's petite frame a little bit of metaphoric Hell burnt away and Voldemort and Atu's chances of succeeding got all the more unlikely.

------

Harry moved Ginny off of him so that he could leave her dorm before everyone else woke up. He walked down to the Common Room and saw Nathan Swanson sitting in the window with a pipe in his mouth.

Harry considered this for a moment. He could take out his pipe and have a smoke with Nate or he could leave the Common Room in the very early morning and sit bored out of his mind in the Heads Rooms.

Needless to say, Harry sat down on the wide window sill next to Nate and pulled out his own pipe. Nathan looked over at Harry and pulled out his lighter to light Harry's pipe.

"Thanks." Harry said breathing in the intoxicating aroma of the smoke that he just loved.

"Not a problem." Nate said blowing smoke out of his nose.

"I was wondering yesterday in Speciology class, if you guys ever got bored just sitting there day after day hearing the same information eight times a day?" Harry asked.

"Oh fuck yea. You should see Sirius by the end of the day. The last class he sleeps through." Nathan said smiling as Harry choked on the smoke in his mouth.

"You are kidding." Harry said smiling and finally breathing correctly.

"I wish I were. Juarbe looks at him sometimes like he wants to kill him."

"I wouldn't put it past him." Harry said.

"You don't like Juarbe much, do you?"

"He was mean to my friend on the first day. You could say I just don't trust him too much."

"By the Gods I trust Juarbe with my life. He's an excruciatingly old Fearie. He fought against Atu in her first coming. He's on the Queens Council and you don't get on the Queens Council by being untrustworthy. Though I do admit he can be quite a large dick when he wants to be." Nathan said.

"I agree with that last part." Harry said.

"His father was fascinated with human, so much so that he married one. And I think that Joshua just has never really gotten over that."

"What's so wrong with humans?" Harry asked.

"They were a rather large mistake. They were intended to turn out one way and ended up another way. The Pagan government didn't really want to deal with the humans so they put the humans in another dimension. Humans are just termed as very weak compared to the other Creators concoctions. It's not really their fault, but like all prejudices rationality doesn't really factor into it." Nathan said. Harry nodded and smoked his pipe. The two of them sat in silence for awhile. "Let me ask you a question, Harry."

"Shoot."

"Did you sleep at all last night?" Nathan asked looking sideways at Harry.

"I haven't slept a full night's sleep since………" Harry thought back. "June."

"You know, that would kill most humans or drive them mad." Nathan said.

"Aren't they all already mad?" Harry asked looking over at Nathan, who laughed.

"I guess you're right. But don't you think it's curious?"

"I don't like to think about the things that are happening to me." Harry admitted.

"No ones making you, I'm sorry I asked."

"Don't be. It's just all of the sudden there are all these Pagans around and it just seems all the more natural to be doing the things I've been mastering over the summer."

"How does doing these things make you feel?"

"Like I'm home, like I've lived my entire life without a leg and then suddenly its there, something firm to stand on."

"That's a brilliant way to describe it." Nathan said. "You sure you're not a poet."

"Don't pock fun at me. You're the one who asked." 


	21. Chapter 21

Just coming to terms with the mindless tedium of it all, presents an interesting challenge. – Ford Prefect Hitchhiker's Guild to the Galaxy

I have many dreams, but dreams are all I have. – Brom

A/N: I'm feeling pretty good about this story. It's taking longer to get where it's going then Ten Years in Lost Memory. And I like!

DontLetMeGetMe: Yeah, I like Nate too. He is much more enjoyable to write than his father was. Do you mean like a flashback? Because I was thinking about how those just kind of stopped. But I have up to and including chapter twenty five written so adding to those chapters would screw everything up. Thank you, I like my stories too.

LittleCrazy1: It's not that Harry's dim, it's just that he doesn't want to believe that he's that much different from everyone else at Hogwarts. I mean let us think about his time at Hogwarts so far. First year everyone all 'oh look its Harry Potter…' you know? Second year he finds out he can talk to snake and very few other people can. Third year everyone is getting all protective of him because of Sirius. Fourth year that damn Triwizard crap. Fifth year all he's having are nightmares about Voldemort. And sixth year there's the stress of finding Voldemort's soul. The kid hasn't had it easy and he wants more than anything for his new powers to mean nothing. For once he wants to be normal. Thank you for reviewing.

Chapter Twenty-One

Later in November

Harry watched Sirius from his desk in Speciology class. Sirius watched Harry from his chair at the front of the Speciology class. Harry thought as he stared at Sirius that pretty much all of the girls in the class would kill to be in his position. But no, Sirius only paid heed to those he liked. And he liked Harry. Why? Harry could not imagine.

Suddenly Sirius stuck his tongue out. Harry put his head on his desk to keep from showing the large smile on his face.

"Now, unfortunately the only male Siren that would agree to come for this class was Sirius Black jr." Juarbe said to the class. "As I have said before this eventuality is most unhelpful when it comes to teaching you anything. But right now we will venture into the seemingly unheard of. We will try to work with Sirius to teach you something about his species." Harry raised his hand, Juarbe nodded at him.

"Maybe if you give him a treat, he'll corporate." Harry suggested, the class laughed. Juarbe considered this.

"That actually might work." Nakita said. "It's the only way I get him to do anything he doesn't want to." Sirius looked away from Harry for a moment and then nodded in agreement to her statement.

"We'll discuss treats later." Juarbe said.

"Why does Sirius get treats and not me?" Nathan asked.

"Shut up and we'll continue class…"

----

"Sirius, couldn't you just do what's asked of you?" Harry asked in the Common Room later that night.

"Yes, I could. But I learned from my dad that being helpful is often not as fun as not being helpful." Sirius said.

"Have you ever thought about not listening to your dad?" Harry asked.

"But he has so many good ideas." Sirius stressed. "Like naughty things to do with your girlfriend when her father isn't looking."

"Sounds interesting, elaborate please." James said.

"Not to you. You're dating my sister."

"Why yes, and you're dating my sister so cut it out." Remus snapped.

"Perhaps a change of subject would be in order." Harry said.

"Much agreed." James said. "May I suggest we converse on the subject of Harry's hairy hair?" Harry groaned.

"Or not." Harry suggested.

"I think that it's genetic." James said. "Either that or I'll be getting you a brush for your birthday."

"Who cares why it's messy?" Sirius asked. "All I know is that I wish my hair was like that." Sirius tried to mess up his hair, but only succeed in making look more perfect. "Oh poo."

"Do you know how strange you are?" Nakita asked.

"Of course I do. I wouldn't be this strange if it weren't a conscious choice. You should know that by now, m'dear."

-----

Ginny walked into Harry's Head Room. It was empty, a little more frantic now she knocked on the door to Hermione's room. Hermione opened the door looking annoyed that her studying had been put on hold. But when Hermione saw the frightened look on Ginny's face she forgot all of her annoyance.

"Ginny, are you alright? Did you have another dream?" Hermione asked sitting Ginny down on the couch.

"No, it was something else." Ginny said trying not to cry.

"What? What was it?"

"I was doing my homework and started daydreaming, when all of the sudden it was like I was losing control of my body. Like there was something trying to take me somewhere I didn't go. Then just as suddenly it stop. I wanted Harry but he's not here, where is he?" Ginny asked a few scared tears escaping her eyes.

"He's at his lesson with Professor Smeth. He should be back soon, he left two hours ago."

-----

"You put it where?" Cassandra demanded of her sister. Annabella had just told her where she hid the Key after the First War with Atu. Cassandra quickly and quietly dragged Annabella out of the Weasley's house and into the field behind it.

"I put the Key where I thought, and still think, it will be safe." Annabella said again.

"But inside of a human!" Cassandra said incredulously. "You must have gone mad!"

"Said the Dien that's in love with a human."

"My feelings for Bill have nothing to do with this. You being irresponsible with the Key to all existence, does! Why? Why would you be so careless with it? Why?"

"Careless!" Annabella exclaimed finally loosing her temper. "I'll have you know that I put the Key in a place where I knew the Lost One would find it, and protect it with his love."

"Did the human even agree to be used?"

"Of course she did, Cassie. I wouldn't have forced it on her, but if you must know, I don't think she really understood what it was she was agreeing to."

"But why? Why a human? Of all the species to put it in, a human."

"That is exactly why, Cassie. Why would any Pagan in its right mind place the most precious of things inside of a creature so delicate? No one would ever guess that it resided inside a human. No one would think that I would put it there. And now no one but you and I know that is inside a human."

"Which human is it now?"

"You'll find out soon enough. The Key has become aware of the fact that Atu is no longer trapped in stone. It is moving inside of its human for the first time. It is warning the human. And soon it will begin randomly taking control of the human. It wants to know its safe and the only place it feels safe is with the Lost One."

-----

Ginny clung to Harry the second he entered the Heads Common Room. He held onto her and looked over her head at Hermione.

"Was it another dream?" Harry asked either of them, but mostly Hermione, because Ginny was sobbing uncontrollably.

"No, Harry, its worse. I think that its time we tell a professor." Hermione said. Then she told Harry what Ginny had told her.

"I don't know, Hermione." Harry said holding Ginny tighter to him.

"I owled Ron, he should be here any minute now." Hermione said and just as she said it Ron came running through the door.

"Where is she? Ginny!" Ron yelled looking for his sister. Ginny most reluctantly left Harry's grasp and walked to her brother. He put his hands on her shoulders. "What is it? What's wrong?" Ron asked and Ginny told him.

"Don't you think we should tell a professor?" Hermione asked looking for support because Harry looked uncertain about the idea.

"I think that it should be Ginny's choice." Harry said.

"I think we should owl mum and dad, they'll want to know." Ron said.

"I think we should tell a professor first." Hermione insisted.

"Ginny, what do you want?" Harry asked looking at her. She sniffled and thought.

"I want to tell Cassandra." Ginny said. "I trust her and if Bill has it his way she'll soon be family. I just don't want to tell mum or dad or professor if it's nothing. Cassie'll know what to do." Harry got Ginny a piece of parchment and a quill. He let her use the desk in his room. Harry, Ron and Hermione talked in the Heads Common Room as Ginny wrote.

"Harry, we should really tell a professor anyway." Hermione said.

"Hermione, this is her problem we need to let her deal with it her way. She needs to feel like she has some control of the problem, all right? We'll do it her way." Harry said.

"I still think we should tell mum and dad. What if You Know Who's behind this? The Order should know." Ron said.

"I don't think he is." Harry said hoping that it was true.

"How do you know, Harry? He got to you through your dreams." Hermione said.

"What has Voldemort done since the end of last year? He did one attack and then quieted down for whatever reason. Why would he pick now, and Ginny to start shit again?" Harry asked. Ginny came out of Harry's room with a letter in her hands.

"Can I use Hedwig?" She asked, Harry nodded and went to the window. He gave a low whistle and his snowy white owl flew threw the window and perched on his hand.

"Harry, she'll cut you." Hermione scolded walking over to Harry. "And look she has." Hermione mumbled something that sounded an awful lot like 'stupid boys.'

"Look, Hermione, its fine." Harry said walking towards Ginny, who tied the letter to Hedwig. Hedwig flew back out the window. Harry stuffed his hand in his pocket to avoid Hermione, which he knew would not work. And it did not work because she pulled out her wand and grabbed Harry's hand.

Hermione stared at his hand. There was not a scratch on it. But she could have sworn she had seen a scratch. Hermione looked up at Harry as she ran through the information in her head.

"Harry, how did you do that?" Hermione asked.

"Do what?" Ron asked walking up next to Hermione. He pulled Harry's hand out of Hermione's for two reasons really: one was that he wanted to see what Hermione had been looking at on Harry's hand, and two was because he did not want Hermione holding Harry's hand.

Harry pulled his hand out of Ron's.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Harry said. "Look, we had better let it be for right now and see what Cassandra has to say about it."

-----

Cassandra was sitting on Bill's lap in the living room. They were kissing and cuddling when Hedwig flew through the window and landed gracefully on the arm of the couch the couple was sitting on. Bill reached over and snatched the letter.

"It's for you, Cassie." Bill said handing her the letter. He kissed her neck as she opened broke the seal. Cassandra ran her free hand absently through Bill's long hair as she read Ginny's distressing letter.

"Bill, where's Anna?" Cassandra asked pushing his mouth away from her neck. Bill sighed and thought.

"I saw her and Charlie go up to his room. But that was like an hour ago, they're probably done by now." Bill said smiling.

"Billy!" Cassandra yelled getting off of Bill's lap.

"Wait, Cassie, where are you going?" Bill asked standing up too.

"I have to go talk to Anna about something she did."

"I'm related to someone she did." Bill said smiling.

"Stop it, Bill, that's my little sister you're talking about. How would you like it if I talked about Ginny that way?"

"Ginny is a little girl, she's not having sex." Bill snapped.

"How do you know? Are you at Hogwarts with her watching her every move?" Cassandra snapped back.

"Ginny has better morals then to do anything like that!"

"Oh, are you saying that my sister doesn't have good morals?"

"Yeah, for a vampire she's got fabulous morals." Bill snapped. Cassandra just stared at Bill for a second before she went up to Charlie's room. She knocked on the door. A fully clothed Charlie answered it.

"Hey," Charlie said to Cassandra before walking back over the Annabella who was lounging underneath the covers of Charlie's bed, "see you later, baby. I have to go talk to Bill." Charlie kissed Annabella lightly on her plump red lips and left the room.

"You need something, Cassie?" Annabella asked getting out of Charlie's bed taking the blanket with her as she searched for her clothes.

"What have you done?" Cassandra asked thrusting the letter into Annabella's hands.

"I told you the Key was aware of the fact that Atu is back." Annabella said pulling on her clothes after she had read the letter.

"What should I write back? 'Dear Ginny, I'm sorry but the reason these things are happening to you is because the very thing that holds existence together is inside of you and it's scared because the evil vampire queen who stole it once before is back and its just trying to warn you.'"

"Yeah, something like that except maybe in more sentences." Annabella said.

"Everyone in this house is impossible." Cassandra said. "I'll just go and tell her then, shall I?"

"Wait until next month." Annabella said, Cassandra gave her a questioning look. "Something big is about to happen. I can feel it in my bones." 


	22. Chapter 22

"It's the deep breath before the plunge." – Gandalf the White, The Lord of the Rings, the Return of the King

A/N: I tried this new thing where I replied to a couple of people via the 'reply' button next their reviews, if you are out there reading this, do you mind telling me if it worked?

Chapter Twenty-Two

December

"Are you alright, Harry?" Ginny asked looking up at him from where she lay on his chest. Harry ran his fingers through her hair.

"It's just a feeling, Ginny. Nothing more than a feeling." Harry said.

"It seems that when ever you have a feeling, it almost always turns out to be a correct feeling." Ginny said. "So, what is your feeling, Mister Potter?"

"That something big is about to happen. Something that will change everything. But it's nothing, I'm sure." Harry added hastily.

"If you're sure." Ginny said.

"I'm sure."

"Okay then, you are taking me to Hogsmeade tomorrow so I can buy your Christmas present." Ginny said rolling off of Harry and sitting up next to him.

"Such a demanding girlfriend, maybe I should rethink this." Harry said looking considering.

"Stop it, Harry." Ginny said hitting Harry in the arm.

"If you insist."

"I do."

"Fine, I'll go with you." Harry said acting like saying it had cost him a great deal.

"Good, because I don't know what you want." Ginny said laying back down on top of him.

"I want you." Harry said in a quiet husky voice. Ginny looked up at him again, smiled and blushed. Harry put his hands on the back of her neck and led her lips up his chest to his mouth. Harry broke the kiss, and asked Ginny, whose eyes were still shut, "And what do you want for Christmas?"

"You, no more talkie." Ginny said kissing Harry again.

------

Cassandra sat in the living room of the Burrow reading but mostly ignoring Bill. Bill stared at Cassandra infuriated that she was ignoring him. She was nearly ninety thousand years older than him and she knew how to stay mad. Bill casually asked Annabella about a "friend" with a similar problem, a lie that Annabella saw right through. She explained that Pagans hold family honor as close to them as personal honor. So, she suggested that Bill's "friend" ought to apologize.

Bill sat down next to Cassandra and she continued to ignore him. Bill snatched the book out of her hands which caused Cassandra to turn on him.

"What is your problem, William?" Cassandra asked using his full name knowing it would make him mad.

"My problem is with you ignoring me." Bill said deciding to ignore her attempt to make him mad.

"I am not ignoring you. If I were would I be talking to right now?" Cassandra said squinting her eyes.

"You haven't spoken a kind or loving word to me in weeks and its killing me." Bill said.

"It's killing you?" Cassandra asked shaking her head as though she did not believe him.

"Yes, the fact that you're not kissing me everyday or the fact that you're not in my arms right now is making me want to die."

"Why?" Cassandra asked in disbelief. Bill made a noise of frustration and took his time answering.

"Because I love you." Bill said quietly.

"You love me?" Cassandra asked softening her tone considerably.

"Yes." Bill mumbled.

"Then why did you say those terrible things about my sister?"

"I was mad, Cassie, we were mad and when humans get mad we tend to say things we don't mean."

"That's stupid."

"Tell me about it." Bill said, grumpily. Cassandra sighed, wrapped her arms around Bill's neck and kissed him.

"Cassie-…" Bill started.

"Shhh… shut up." Cassandra said planting her lips on his.

-----

"Wait, Hermione, Keepers do what?" Ron asked Hermione in the Gryffindor Common Room.

"Honestly, Ronald." Hermione said rolling her eyes. "I just told you, weren't you listening?" Ron blushed and looked away from her. "Keepers keep dragons because they were genetically crossed. Now, Keepers have a tendency to act like dragons. You know they're honest no matter who they hurt and stuff like that. I can't re-teach you Juarbe's entire class, you should have been paying attention." Hermione scolded as Harry and Ginny walked into the Common Room.

"Hey, what're you doing?" Harry asked sitting next to Ron.

"Juarbe's extra credit." Ron grumbled.

"Why? It's not mandatory." Harry said.

"Ronald said he'd do it if I helped him." Hermione said. "Which is what I intend to do. I will not just give you the answers." Hermione said giving Ron a pointed look. Ron huffed. Harry laughed. "You should do the extra credit too."

"Yeah, I should," Harry said, Hermione smiled, "but I'm not going to." Harry added and Hermione scolded. Ginny sat down next to Hermione and smiled at Harry.

"What're you so happy about?" Ron asked Ginny having caught her smile.

"Nothing." Ginny said quickly. Ron looked like he was about to ask another question when Harry interrupted him.

"So, are you guys going to Hogsmeade tomorrow?" Harry asked.

"I was going to. I still have some last minute Christmas shopping to do." Hermione said.

"Hermione, it's still the first week of December, how could it be last minute?" Ron asked.

"I like to get all of my shopping done before December starts, I'm terribly behind schedule." Hermione said. Ron just shook his head. "Anyway, are you two coming to Hogsmeade?"

"Unfortunately." Harry mumbled at the same moment Ginny quickly answered, "Yes."

"What'd you say, Harry?" Ron asked.

"Nothing, man." Harry said smiling.

"No really, what did you say?" Ron asked again. Harry thought fast.

"You know that thing James wrote on that first year's parchment?" Harry asked. Ron nodded. "I said that." Ron made a horrified face at Harry.

"Why?" He demanded.

"It sounded like fun." Harry shrugged.

"What sounded like fun?" Ginny asked.

"Nothing." Hermione said quickly. Harry leaned towards her.

"No, no, and no, you are not saying that vulgar thing to my baby sister." Ron said pulling Harry back. Harry gave Ginny a look that said he would tell her later.

"Please, Ron." Ginny fake begged.

"No." Ron said shaking his head.

"Fine, I'll ask Harry when you're not around." Ginny said, Ron looked horror stricken. 


	23. Chapter 23

Anakin: You're asking me to be rational. I know that is something I cannot do.

Her song so sweet drew then neigh, seducing their hearts. She loved them true, each one, these men so gallant, so brave… and she wept –even as she fed on their flesh- she wept. - Brom

A/N: I'm all sad, so is this chapter. Contain some talk of suicide or something like it, but it's a pivotal chapter and must be read to understand the plot.

Disclaimer: All J.K. characters and plot lines and places are not mine, get over it, I have.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Hogsmeade the very next day

Harry stood by the dying fire in the Gryffindor Common Room waiting for Ron, but mostly waiting for Ginny. But Harry could not admit that, now could he? All the secrecy surrounding his relationship with Ginny was starting to really get on his nerves. He was finally completely comfortable with the fact that he was in love, but more so he was ecstatic that he was in love. He wanted to scream it from the mountain tops, but he thought that he ought to tell Ginny that he loved her first. The mountain tops would always be there right?

But Harry was scared of how she might react. Love was a big step.

"Harry?" Ginny asked walking down the stairs her pale legs peaking out from underneath Harry's shirt. Harry turned towards her and smiled.

"Yes, Ginny." Harry said walking up to her and wrapping his arms around her waist.

"You know that bad feeling you said you had?" Ginny asked putting her hands on his chest.

"It's nothing, Ginny, I swear." Harry said trying to convince himself as much as her.

"I think you're right about it, though. I was lying in bed after you left and my chest started getting tight. I didn't want to take any chances so I came to see you." Ginny said. "For some reason when ever I'm near you I feel safe."

"I'll always be here, baby. Whenever you're sad, scared, or even happy I'm right here and I want you to know that I'm not going anywhere." Harry said he had to clench his jaw to keep from saying what his heart was screaming at him. Ginny looked up at him and noticed his almost pained expression.

"Harry, are you all right?" Ginny asked touching Harry's cheek, Harry leaned into the caress welcoming her touch he sighed in contentment.

"I love you." Harry whispered lost in her touch. Ginny's eyes widened as Harry's eyes closed.

"Really?" Ginny asked taking advantage of the trance like state that Harry was in.

"Hmmhmm…" Harry mumbled. "I want to scream it from the mountain tops."

"Maybe that isn't a very good idea right now." Ginny said at a loss as to the proper way to respond.

"Well, obviously, baby, I'm not on a mountain top, now am I?" Harry asked opening his eyes and looking at her. Ginny just smiled and laughed quietly. "Do you realize that you have the most beautiful face?" Harry asked, Ginny blushed. "I love you so much, Ginny." Harry said kissing her softly yet passionately.

"Harry, I don't know what-…" Ginny began.

"Shh… it's okay, Ginny. You don't have to love me back. You just have to know that I do truly deeply love you." Harry said interrupting her. "Why don't you go get dressed and come back down when you're ready." Harry suggested. Ginny just nodded.

-----

Later that morning Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione walked out in the fluffy white snow to Hogsmeade. 

"What do you want for Christmas, Ginny?" Harry asked as they walked into the small town.

"Why are you buying your ex-girlfriend a present?" Ron asked.

"Because we're friends and friends buy each other presents." Harry said looking oddly at Ron.

"Really, Ron." Ginny said.

"Okay, so what's our game plan?" Hermione asked stopping in the middle of the street.

"Watch out!" Some Slytherin said while violently running into Hermione and his friend running into Ginny just as hard. Harry grabbed Ginny before she fell down and gave the Slytherins a look that told them if they touched his girl again they would die.

"Why don't Ginny and I go pick out presents for each other and we'll meet somewhere later?" Harry suggested walking away from Ron and Hermione while dragging Ginny behind him. Ron was too busy looking mad at the Slytherins to notice Harry's departure and Hermione gave them a knowing look. Harry dragged Ginny deep into an ally between the stores and looked her over more closely. "How do you feel, baby? Does anything hurt?" Harry asked quickly touching at great length the shoulder that was run into.

"I'm fine, Harry." Ginny said.

"Are you sure?" Harry asked.

"Yes, Harry, I'm fabulous. Now, please stop." Ginny said removing Harry's hands from her shoulder. Harry withdrew his hand and his face fell. He finally speaks his heart and she does not want him anymore, or at least that's what Harry thought.

"Okay, good… um… I'll just go then, shall I?" Harry did not wait for a response and just walked away from Ginny. He walked alone through the village with his head down. He went to the only place he knew no one would go to. The Shrieking Shack. He went inside and sat down on the dusty floor. Harry closed his eyes and saw another flashback.

His father was sitting right were Harry was sitting looking just as glum and put out as Harry felt. James rubbed his hands over his face knocking his glasses off in the process.

Harry opened his eyes and the image was gone. "I should have known." Harry said to himself. "Everything I love gets taken away from me in one way or another. Why should she be any different?" 

Harry felt a sharp pain in his chest and knew that his heart was breaking. And anyone who knows anything about Pagans knows that a broken heart can be fatal. 

Harry's breathing became strained, he struggled to stand up and stumble to the door. He fell out the door and down into the snow. Still breathing heavily he got up, his vision started to blur and he flung off his glass which did not help at all. He walked to the fence and grabbed onto it as he fell to his knees.

And then he saw his salvation. A beautiful red haired Ginny running towards him, she was slightly blurred but Harry could have sworn he saw people behind her. As she came closer Harry could hear her calling his name. The pain in his chest gave a sharp burst and he screamed in pain. Harry clenched a fist over his heart and started to cough scarlet droplets on the pure white snow.

Ginny was saying something to him, she was shaking his shoulders to get him to look up at her, to do anything but cough up blood. She was crying, Harry could tell. She was holding him close but his eyes were glazing over.

In the blur that was now his vision Harry saw three dark figures moving towards them. Ginny had already turned and pulled out her wand. Harry lay on his side in the snow wheezing for breath and coughing as the blood in his mouth moved back into his lungs.

The last thing Harry remembered was a pure white light coming out of Ginny, hitting the dark figures and throwing them out of sight. With all that was left of Harry's strength he reached out and touched Ginny's leg. The light stopped, Ginny fainted and Harry passed out.

----

Harry could hear someone talking in whispers around him. He wondered vaguely why he could hear anything. He was so sure that he had died. But he did not care about the whispers. He was ready to let go, to die. Ginny was his sole reason to fight to live, but she did not love him. She did not want to be with him. So why live? Why fight? Nothing mattered anymore.

Harry tried to stop thinking, tried to not listen to the whispers. But the whispers continued and Harry found himself listening.

"Ron, I told you already, the Healers don't know what happened." Harry heard someone female say, nothing was registering. Who was Ron again?

"I know, Hermione, but you can't stop a bloke from asking the same question and hoping for a different answer." Ron said. The whispers quieted for awhile.

"How's Ginny?" Hermione asked.

"Mum said she woke up a couple of hours ago. The Healers said that she was completely drained of energy." Ron said.

"What happened to them, did she say?" Hermione asked desperately.

"She said she went to find Harry, because he walked away from her. And when she found him he was stumbling around and fell down. She said he was coughing up blood and wouldn't respond to her. Then those damn Slytherins ganged up on her, she said the rest was a blur. All she remembers was feeling like she was being torn open and all of her energy was being forced out of her and it wouldn't stop until Harry touched her leg." Ron said.

"They're dead aren't they?" Hermione asked in a tiny whispered.

"Whatever came out of Ginny flung them so hard when they finally stopped their necks had already broken. She doesn't know yet, mum doesn't want her to." Ron said. They stood quietly again. Harry squinted his eyes and thought.

Everything that was just said sounded familiar. But nothing mattered, Harry reminded himself. Ginny did not want to be with him anymore. 

Harry felt the pain in his chest again, it was abrupt and strong. Harry curled up in a ball and clawed at his chest. He felt arms trying to hold him down to keep from clawing at the pain in his chest. There was screaming and yelling but Harry could make no sense of it. He started coughing again, he could not breath. As he coughed he stopped fighting the arms and splattered blood all over the crisp white sheets of his hospital bed. The coughing stopped just to start again when ever he tried to breathe a strangled breath.

Harry made up his mind that the arms trying to hold him down were bad and that he needed to get somewhere quiet to finish what he had started. Harry could see but barely. So, he stilled under the arms grasps. The hands loosened and Harry bolted out of the bed and stumbled towards the wall where he fell and cough blood all over the wall. Someone picked him up and put him back on the bed as he passed out again.

----

Hermione was in the corner of Ginny's hospital room crying after Harry's little episode. Ginny had silent tears running down her cheeks as well having heard about it from Remus who had picked up Harry and put him back in bed.

"Do you think that he got cursed or something?" Ginny asked. Hermione could only answer with a choked sob. Ron walked in and looked like he was about to cry too. "What? What happened?" Ginny asked.

"They strapped him down in case he did it again." Ron said. Hermione began to cry harder. Ron walked over to her and hugged her. Ginny looked at them and more tears ran down her face. Ginny wiped the tears from her face and threw off her blanket. She got out of bed and made for the door. "Ginny, the Healer said that you need to stay in bed for a while." Ron said.

"What I need right now is to see my boyfriend." Ginny snapped at Ron.

"Her boyfriend?" Ron asked turning to Hermione, who just sobbed some more and nodded.

Ginny walked down the hall to Harry's room and cracked open the door Remus and Professor Juarbe were talking in hushed voices.

"What's wrong with him, Joshua?" Remus asked.

"He is reacting the way all Dien do when their heart has been broken." Juarbe said. Ginny looked and listened on confused.

"What could have brought this on? He and Ginny looked so happy last time I saw them." Remus said leaning on the bed railings.

"Remus, Ms. Weasley is human and in accordance with her species she will never fully comprehend the importance of love from a pure blooded Pagan. She probably denied him, abandoned him, told him to leave her or broke up with him. And he went away and thought. And finally came across the idea that she didn't love him, that she didn't want him and therefore he had no reason to exist. Remus, you do understand what he is trying to do to himself?" Juarbe asked.

"Yes, I do, but I hope to the Gods I'm wrong." Remus mumbled.

"He is in the beginning stages of Fading. If he successfully begins the process he will die and there is no stopping it." Juarbe said. Ginny closed the door and stood in the hallway with her hand over her mouth and cried. She had killed her boyfriend.

"How do we stop it?" Remus asked.

"It wouldn't hurt to place him back in his naturally habitat." Juarbe said. "It would be a start and would defiantly improve his chances of survival."

"But then we're taking him away from the Key." Remus said shaking his head.

"Ms. Weasley will have to stay here until he is better. How can he protect her if he's dying?"

"'His mere presence will protect the Key.'" Remus said quoting the Prophecy of the Lost One.

"Perhaps you're right. But Atu's there, not here. Which place would you rather put the most precious thing in existence?"

"I can see your point but she's safer with him then without him." Remus said.

"Ginny?" Cassandra said touching the sobbing girls shoulder reassuringly.

"They said he's going to die because he thought I didn't love him. He's going to die because of me. I killed my boyfriend. I killed my boyfriend. I killed my boyfriend." Ginny said hyperventilating.

"Ginny, you didn't kill him. This is just how Pagans react to certain things." Cassandra said hugging her.

"But if I had just 'I love you too,' when he said it, or if I hadn't freaked out when he said it, he wouldn't be dying right now." Ginny said.

"He's not going to die, Ginny. He's too strong for that."

"But he told me that I'm the only reason he has to fight. Without me he's nothing. He said it. I'm his reason. And he thinks I hate him. I killed my boyfriend." Ginny said again. Cassandra just rubbed Ginny's arm. She did not know what to say because she was beginning to believe that Ginny had in fact killed her boyfriend.

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A/N: I know I don't usually do this because I think that it takes away from the ending of the chapter but I'm making an exception. I am going to break this story up into parts the way I did for Ten Years in Lost Memory. This is the last chapter for the first part. Nifty ending, eh? 


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